Town of Amherst, Massachusetts

HUMAN SERVICE FUNDING

For over ten years Amherst Town Meeting has provided financial support to programs providing residents with important social services. The Human Service Funding Committee, appointed by the Select Board, is charged with recommending proposals to Town Meeting that it believes, after extensive review, best serve the Amherst community and fits within budget guidelines. Recommended funding for programs will always be less than the full cost of services for Amherst low- to moderate-income clients. Town funding is only intended to be a "contribution" towards the cost of services provided to residents. The Town's priorities are as follows:

Emergency services, survival or critical
Preventive or supportive services
Coordination, planning, and information and referral

Agency proposals must meet one or more of the above priorities in order to be considered for funding. In addition, each proposal must address the following additional criteria in its evaluation of each proposal:

The need for such a program must be documented within the proposal
That other sources of funds are not available for the proposed services

The Committee considers past performance as a basis for additional funding. The Committee will also evaluate programs based on their ability to serve low- and moderate-income families. In addition, during this year's review process, the Committee may make site visits to each program applying for funds.

Proposals are reviewed during late winter and early spring, and Committee recommendations are presented to the Select Board and the Finance Committee for support. The Human Service Committee then presents its recommendations to Town Meeting.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please call Roy Rosenblatt at 256-4074 or email him at rosenblatt@amherstma.gov.

The following is a list of agencies receiving funds for fiscal year 2005:

AMHERST SURVIVAL CENTER
FY 04 Allocation	$35,000.00
FY 05 Request	$36,000.00
FY 05 Recommended	$35,000.00
The Amherst Survival Center provides free food and clothing to low-income individuals living in Amherst. The Center also provides preventive and supportive services by serving as a drop-in social center for clients of the Department of Mental Health. The funding recommended by the Committee will provide on-going financial support, enabling the Center to continue to operate, including the payment of rent and utilities to the Town.

CASA LATINA - INFORMATION AND REFERRAL PROGRAM
FY 04 Allocation	$5,000.00
FY 05 Request	$5,000.00
FY 05 Recommended	$5,000.00
Casa Latina, a Latino led and Latino focused community organization is requesting funds to address the social service needs of Latino families living in Amherst. Many Latino families face significant cultural and linguistic barriers in their attempts to access important social services programs. Casa Latina is therefore requesting funds to address the social service needs of these Latino families living in Amherst. Casa Latina will assist these families with interpretation, translation, advocacy and information and referral services.

CENTER FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT BIG BROTHER/BIG SISTER OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY
FY 04 Allocation	$25,000.00
FY 05 Request	$25,000.00
FY 05 Recommended	$25,000.00
The Big Brother/Big Sister program provides stable adult companionship to school-age children of low- and moderate-income Amherst families experiencing high degrees of stress. Volunteers provide both support and respite to families for periods of at least one year. National evaluations continue to confirm that Big Brother/Big Sister programs, throughout the country are effective strategies for helping at-risk youth.

CENTER FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FAMILY OUTREACH OF AMHERST
FY 04 Allocation	$20,000.00
FY 05 Request	$23,000.00
FY 05 Recommended	$23,000.00
Family Outreach of Amherst provides assessment, advocacy, information and referral and case management services to low-income Amherst families. The case management program provides coordination, and information and referral services for low-income underserved, isolated or at-risk families 1.by developing effective service plans, 2.by meeting periodically with clients to assess their progress, and 3.by working in collaboration with other service providers and agencies like the Department of Social Services and the Amherst public schools. Families receiving services demonstrate a variety of problems, e.g. substance abuse, unemployment, and risk of homelessness. During FY 04 family Outreach of Amherst received $3,000 from the Town to operate a Domestic Violence Prevention Program. Additionally the Agency received $10,000.00 from a grant program funded by the Executive Office of Public Safety. Though state funds for this program were eliminated, the agency still continues to provide support for families experiencing domestic violence. Since $10,000.00 was lost in state funds, the Committee did not want to further jeopardize this agency’s ability to serve families and therefore added the $3,000.00 to their basic request.

CENTER FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT NOT BREAD ALONE
FY 04 Allocation	$6,000.00
FY 05 Request	$6,000.00
FY 05 Recommended	$6,000.00
This program offers two meals each weekend to hungry and often homeless individuals. These meals, along with additional food supplies, supplement the food program offered by the Amherst Survival Center during the week.

CENTER FOR NEW AMERICANS
FY 04 Allocation	$4,500.00
FY 05 Request	$4,500.00
FY 05 Recommended	$4,500.00
The Center for New Americans provides basic computer training to immigrants, refugees and migrants so that they may acquire the skills and information necessary to meet their goals as learners, parents, workers and community members. The Center for New Americans provides programs that integrate the development of computer, English language and leadership skills, to insure that participants are better equipped to not only enter the workforce, but also to help their children as they also must learn to adapt to changing technology.

CHILDREN'S AID AND FAMILY SERVICES
FY 04 Allocation	$8,000.00
FY 05 Request	$9,000.00
FY 05 Recommended	$8,000.00
The Parent Aide Volunteer Effort (PAVE) at Children's Aid and Family Services provides low-income Amherst residents with a child abuse prevention program. Parent Aides are placed in the home for several hours per week to provide emotional support as well as concrete help with parenting skills, household organization, transportation and related issues.

EVERYWOMAN'S CENTER
FY 04 Allocation	$3,000.00
FY 05 Request	$3,000.00
FY 05 Recommended	$3,000.00
The Everywoman's Center will use Town funds to support free comprehensive counseling services for low-income Amherst women. The funds will support low-income women, as well as women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities who lack resources to pay for such services.

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HAMPSHIRE COMMUNITY ACTION COMMISSION FIRST CALL FOR HELP
FY 04 Allocation	$4,000.00
FY 05 Request	$4,000.00
FY 05 Recommended	$4,000.00
First Call for Help provides low-income individuals with comprehensive information and referral services that, in many cases, prevent emergency situations, such as homelessness or hunger. These services enable clients to access food, shelter, fuel, and health care as well as a broad range of other human services.

MEN'S RESOURCE CENTER
FY 04 Allocation	$5,000.00
FY 05 Request	$5,000.00
FY 05 Recommended	$5,000.00
These funds will provide financial support for men attending the Men Overcoming Violence Program (MOVE) of the Men's Resource Center. This program provides educational groups to help men end their violent and/or abusive behaviors in their relationships. This program was one of the first in the state to become certified by the Department of Public Health for the treatment of convicted batterers. The courts mandate about 40% of the clients enrolling in this program; others enroll voluntarily.

SAFE PASSAGE
FY 04 Allocation	$7,000.00
FY 05 Request	$7,000.00
FY 05 Recommended	$7,000.00
Safe Passage provides services to battered women and their children through community education, individual counseling and support groups. Services include safety planning, emotional support, information and resources. Safe Passage provides emergency services through its hotline, which is available 24 hours per day. The agency is requesting funds to help support its counseling program. Last year Safe Passage provided individual and group counseling to 71 women from Amherst.

SERVICE NET
HAMPSHIRE COMMUNITY INTERFAITH COT PROGRAM

FY 04 Allocation

$5,000.00

FY 05 Request

$5,000.00

FY 05 Recommended

$5,000.00

The Hampshire Community Interfaith Cot Program provides shelter, referrals and limited support to homeless individuals in Hampshire County during the six coldest months of the year. This program was established in response to the large waiting list that existed at the Grove Street Inn. The need for safe shelter reaches crisis proportions during the winter months. The Committee recommends that the Town make some contribution to this important program.

UMASS COMMUTER SERVICES HOMESHARING
FY 04 Allocation	$1,200.00
FY 05 Request	$1,200.00
FY 05 Recommended	$1,200.00
Homesharing in Hampshire County matches low and moderate-income seekers of housing with households willing to provide low-cost/no-cost housing in exchange for services. Homesharing can prevent homelessness, enable elders to remain in their homes, and meet childcare needs of parents needing to work or attend school.

UMASS COMMUTER SERVICES AMHERST FAMILY CENTER
FY 04 Allocation	$2,000.00
FY 05 Request	$2,000.00
FY 05 Recommended	$2,000.00
The Amherst Family Center is a drop-in center providing support for families with children less than five years of age. In addition to providing a safe and nurturing environment for parents and their children, the center provides parent education workshops, parent support activities and quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood education programs. HCAC will no longer be the administering agency for this program. During FY 04 Commuter Services and Housing Resource Center at the University of Massachusetts has become the new lead agency for this program. The program is now housed at the Unitarian Church in the center of Amherst.

Programs not recommended for funding.

HAMPSHIRE HEALTH CONNECT
FY 04 Allocation	$0
FY 05 Request	$3,900.00
FY 05 Recommended	$0
The Committee voted not to increase funding for any new agencies during FY 05.