It is a grant award that can be put to good use. Fayette Senior Services, Inc. (FSS) has been selected for a $62,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.

The one-year Common Good Funds grant is being awarded in recognition on the basis of the effectiveness of the non-profit, said FSS Executive Director Debbie Britt, and will be used for general operating expenses.

Britt said the cash grant provides unrestricted funding to help support and maintain the organization as it pursues its mission.

“Grants for general operating support provide the most flexibility for non-profits but are extremely difficult to obtain. The field is highly competitive so it is quite an honor to be selected as a grantee and be recognized for our demonstrated effectiveness and the measurable impact our services have on the community,” said Britt.

Like nearly all other social service agencies in Georgia and across the nation, the recession has left FSS struggling to find any type of income to help offset costs and maintain services. That reality is what makes the Community Foundation grant award even more special, Britt said.

“The nature of most grant programs is to fund new and innovative projects rather than providing support for the organization’s infrastructure; however, the triple recession of individual, corporate, and government support greatly impacts this principle,” Britt said. “We applaud the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta for taking a forward-thinking approach to providing support by recognizing that non-profit organizations are not only vital service providers, they play an important role in the local economy.”

Britt said Fayette Senior Services provides a wide range of social services that help meet basic needs for older adults. This past year, FSS delivered more than 40,000 Meals on Wheels to Fayette County seniors. In addition, the organization provided more than 10,000 transportation trips, as well as thousands of accumulative hours of case management support, in-home personal care/homemaker services, respite care, information & referrals, adult day care referrals, caregiver support, and home repair/maintenance.

FSS opened its new Life Enrichment Center in late 2007 with 38 members and has expanded today to a membership of nearly 3,000. More than 400 community volunteers support FSS on an annual basis.

“The grant award becomes even more significant when you consider that Fayette County has the third fastest growing senior population in metro Atlanta,” said Britt. “Fayette Senior Services unequivocally understands that the well-being of one person affects the whole family and can affect an entire community.

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta connects donors, non-profits and community leaders to strengthen the Atlanta region through philanthropy. The Foundation provides quality services to donors and innovative leadership on community issues.