JOHNSTOWN — The Fulton County Office for Aging/Youth has received $91,000 in state funding to increase services the next two years for the county’s aged population.
OFA Director Andrea Fettinger briefed the Board of Supervisors’ Human Services Committee on Tuesday at the County Office Building about the 100 percent state funding.
“I would like to split that up between 2019 and 2020,” she told the committee.
The committee voted to formally accept the state OFA Unmet Needs Funds and amend the Fulton County OFA’s budget. The full board is expected to take final action June 10 on the resolution.
Fettinger said the funding can be used to pay for services needed by individuals on the OFA’s current waiting list, supplemental services such as Lifeline, or to apply to new personnel items. For 2019, she said she wished to apply a portion of the $91,000 and use the balance in 2020. She said she wished to increase a part-time OFA aging services specialist to full-time by August, and applying funds to waiting list needs.
“It will help out the caseworkers,” Fettinger said.
She said her agency can increase the number of Lifeline units by 10.
“We can use the funding for anything we can do to get people off the waiting list,” Fettinger said.
Fettinger said the state OFA indicated this type of funding may continue for Fulton County for five years.
In other business, the committee accepted another $15,013 in funding for programming, advertising and supplies.
“We’re interested in doing some community programs,” Fettinger said.
Those programs include: a “Housing and Transportation Showcase” in collaboration with the Johnstown Senior Citizens Center and Gloversville Transit System on July 17; and a Palliative Care Choices Community Program with Mountain Valley Hospice on Nov. 21.
“We could do some really good things with this money,” Fettinger said.
Gloversville 1st Ward Supervisor Marie Born, committee chairwoman, stated: “I think it’s great to have something like that.”
Fettinger requested and received permission to attend a national conference of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging this summer in New Orleans.
The OFA official also praised the recent Youth Bureau “Lead By Example” dinner in which several outstanding local high school students were honored. She said over 50 people attended, including teachers, family members, administrators and bureau contract agencies.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at [email protected]
