An initiative that provides social services to Latino families in Clayton County is set to receive a $492,000 windfall.
The cash infusion comes from the hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding that have been allocated to Georgia via earmarks for the fiscal year 2023 – part of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill signed into law late last month. The grant to Ser Familia, a Latino-serving metro Atlanta nonprofit, is part of a $88.1 million package of earmarks for local projects requested by Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.
“This is a historic day for Clayton County and this is a historic day for Georgia’s Hispanic community,” Ossoff said during a press conference on Wednesday announcing the grant. “I have said since I took office that my goal is to be the most visible, the most effective, the most responsive federal representative that Georgia’s Hispanic community has ever had. … Every community in Georgia deserves effective representation in the U.S. Senate.”
Specifically, the money secured for Ser Familia will be used to buttress the nonprofit’s Family Resource Center in College Park.
Developed in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS), the resource center helps connect Latino families with a host of social services, including emergency financial assistance, food access, youth programs, and services for domestic violence victims. Staffers also help eligible families sign up for Medicaid and food stamps.
According to Ser Familia, the goal of the initiative is to help families access the social safety net and prevent potential child neglect. There are two additional resource centers apart outside of College Park — one in Suwanee and one in Norcross — both of which also provide after school tutoring.
For Belisa Urbina, Ser Familia’s CEO, the federal grant is a sign that the nonprofit’s work is valued. “We know that we are visible, we know that we are important … and [that] everybody is ready to lend us a hand and help us serve our families.”
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