By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The crowd at Positive Community Connections Wednesday afternoon whooped and hollered when a big check was presented from Bowling Green Mayor Mike Aspacher to Wood Lane Residential Services Chief Executive Officer Jessica Miller-Blakely.
The giant check represented the city council’s decision to grant $30,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies to Wood Lane Residential Services. Participants in the WLRS adult day program were at the Poe Road site to celebrate the check presentation.
The agency that offers services to individuals with developmental and/or developmental disabilities was one of 14 local nonprofit agencies to receive grants between $7,000 and $50,000 from the city’s $500,000 ARPA funds. The grants were distributed to help nonprofits recover from the pandemic.
“Covid was tough for everyone, but we couldn’t go remote because we provide direct care 24/7,” Miller-Blakely said about WLRS services. They experienced staffing issues as people needed to be home with their children or chose to leave the organization. “We had no choice but to manage through Covid, but it was difficult dealing with the pandemic, regulations and reduced revenues,” she said.
Because of Covid, WLRS closed six homes and had to consolidate, “creating a big domino effect. We had to make decisions I never thought we’d have to make,” she said.
“These ARPA funds will be utilized to provide continued support to our overall mission of providing quality, life-enhancing programs, services, and opportunities to individuals with a developmental or intellectual disability,” Miller-Blakely said. “I finally feel we are coming out of it.”
According to Martha Woelke, community development coordinator for the city, more than $670,000 worth of ARPA funds were requested from 17 agencies. The decision-making process was “not an easy job,” she said, because the needs were so great, and the stories of the services provided were compelling.
She and the city council narrowed the list by focusing on the requests where residents were directly impacted, and Wood Lane Residential certainly met those criteria.
“This is an agency that provides services to its residents every day. I believe very strongly in the work that Wood Lane Residential is doing. This check is a great way to support what they are doing,” Aspacher said.
With fewer funding streams available, the ARPA funds will provide unrestricted operational support, Miller-Blakely added. The funds may help advance plans to further renovate the facility at 850 W. Poe Road into a truly inclusive, community site.
“We are so proud to be a recipient of the city’s generosity. We are so thankful for them believing in what we do,” she said.
