From the VBAS website:

Any one with an interest in astronomy is invited to join us for one of our society meetings that are held on the third Friday of each month, except for December.
If the weather permits, we always use our telescopes after the programs to enjoy the night sky and we hope that you will join us!

A slightly worn Larkin Grant greeted me distractedly in the open area of the Care Assurance System for the Aging and Homebound (CASA) office this past Thursday. As she settled us into a conference room shared with other tenants of the United Way building for a little privacy, she smiled, shrugged and said, “Some days get a little hectic around here.”  My guess is that it got hectic enough to completely forget about our pending interview, but she didn’t bow out.

Animation appeared once we started talking about the growing needs in our community for home bound assistance. Larkin can and did rattle off statistics and projections that would intimidate the less than committed non-profit worker. CASA’s three permanent and four part-time staff serve as one of only two major providers of assistance to Madison County aged and home bound, lending a helping hand to almost 1,400 needy souls. Medicaid Waver, the other provider in the area, maintains 400 slots for all of North Alabama.

Just the facts, ma’am.

In the past two years, the number of Madison County elderly and home bound citizens calling CASA for assistance grew by 31%. Their current number is expected to double in the next ten years as the Madison County population ages. CASA’s average client is 75.4 years old, with an income of $500 per month. 89% of their clients fall below the U.S. Census Bureau’s poverty level, and 29% live alone. CASA receives no reimbursement from the Government or insurance agencies. They are 100% funded through grants and private donations and the services they provide are 100% volunteer labor.

Are you nervous, yet?

A little, I think. I ask how the CASA garden is going. That’s the project that I’m most familiar with because I’ve participated in both planting and harvesting events with them over the years. It’s great fun, especially if you sign up with a group of coworkers or help out a school group. 100% of the produce grown in this community garden goes straight to local home bound who can’t afford fresh produce from a grocery store.

Larkin’s grin gets huge for a moment. She brags on volunteers who have turned the patch of ground just south of the Huntsville Botanical Garden into a year ‘round vegetable producer. She tells me how wonderful it feels to be on the receiving end of all the grateful smiles on delivery day. Three pound sacks of varied produce are delivered to as many people as can be provided for. Then she tilts her head for a second and mentions that she really wishes they could expand the lot size. Not all CASA clients get a bag. There isn’t enough to go around. That fact leads to admitting to just how bad it feels to have to tell the “lucky ones” that they won’t be getting a second bag of vegetables this year.

Aren’t there other local sources of food?

You bet. Madison County is blessed with The Salvation Army, Manna House, and several other local food banks. The only problem is that these services require that you go to the food. Home bound elderly can’t take advantage of these programs. We also have Meals on Wheels. Unfortunately, they have a limited number of slots, they don’t deliver on weekends or holidays, and their routes are restricted. Many of our poor and home bound live out in the County, beyond their reach.

How are the other CASA programs coping?

Despite the efforts of the many wonderful and giving volunteers that power everything that CASA accomplishes, backlogs are growing and waiting lists are getting longer.

CASA is grateful to the many Madison County volunteers who provide:

• Transportation services to and from doctor appointments (some TRAM tickets are purchased for these trips, but they are pricey and have to be kept to a minimum)
• Grab rails and access ramps that allow some elderly a taste of freedom from their home bound interiors.
• Weather proofing for homes to lower heating and cooling bills.
• Visits and telephone calls with elderly that have little to no other human contact in their lives.
• Yearly “be Santa to a senior” packages of treasured and most often requested gifts, including: canned food, deodorant, hand towels, sheets and the occasional heater.
  And much more.

See the CASA website for volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups of all ages. CASA provides the materials for most projects. You do the work.

So grab a hammer, push a wheelbarrow, drive a van, or just sit and talk for a bit to make a home bound person’s life a lot brighter and a bit more dignified. You are needed. Larkin Grant has the numbers, and the callers, to prove it.

Looks like citizen outrage and protest over the Huntsville Housing Authority’s (HA) secret purchases of property and scattering of public housing has made an impact. According to the Huntsville Times, State Senator Paul Sanford is introducing a bill to revoke the authority of Huntsville mayors to name the volunteers that run the HA.

In the future, the City Council would be responsible for appointing the board by majority vote. Times writer Challen Stephens quoted the Senator as saying the HA’s intentions to spread out public housing was “well intentioned, but misguided,” and that the new voting procedure would “bring a little bit more sunlight to the process.” It was mentioned that this procedure is only being instigated in Huntsville. I find that rather curious and sad. I’m thankful that it’s happening for us, but I doubt seriously that other municipalities in the state couldn’t benefit from that sunlight, too.

State Representative Mike Ball of Madison and State Senator Arthur Orr of Decatur took the disclosure principle a step further. They will be introducing a bill to ensure future property purchases are voted on by the City Council or county commission prior to committing tax payer funds.

What wasn’t mentioned was if/what time period the current Housing Authority board would continue to serve, and what corrections, if any, might be taken to reverse some of the damage already done to our communities and our pocketbooks.

Update Jan 12, 2010:

A question brought up on the AL.com Huntsville forums was, “Are these the same people?” meaning, “Is anyone on the HHA also on the City Council and do they have the same intentions?”. Intentions, I’m not sure of, but I looked up the members of both boards to share with you here:

• Per the October 19, 2009 meeting minutes posted at the HHA Public Information Page, the HHA is staffed by:
  • Chairman Charley S. Burruss
  • Vice Chairman R. Thomas Beason
  • Commissioner Leon D. Fountain
  • Commissioner Phillip L. Redrick, Ph.D.
  • Commissioner Dorothy A. Ford
• Per the City of Huntsville Agenda’s Page, the City Council is staffed by:
  • Sandra Moon
  • Will Culver
  • Mark Russell (Council President)
  • Bill King, Jr.
  • Richard Showers, Sr.

Contact information for both boards is included in their web sites. I’ve added the City Council meeting schedule to Neonjade’s Upcoming Events calendar. I did not see a meeting schedule for the HHA, please comment with a link if you find one.