By Sister John Francis Alwes

Project AWARE is an outreach program for the elderly in the West End. The name AWARE stands for Alert West End Area to Resources for the Elderly. The program has a special room in St. Anthony’s parish hall, which has been set up as a combined office for the worker and a lounge area, open daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for “super adults” (age 62 and up) to drop in for a cup of coffee, or to rest on a trip to the shopping mall, or just to chat. Several of the ladies of St. Anthony’s parish have been assisting Mrs. Jeanne Bartle with secretarial work. Without these generous volunteers the program could not have progressed as rapidly as it has.

Mrs. Jeanne Bartle is the outreach worker who has been seeking out and visiting elderly people in their homes to learn of their needs. She either assists them herself or puts them in touch with the resources needed. Mrs. Bartle assists with transportation, arranges medical and dental appointments, assists in making application to nursing and convalescent centers as well as securing information and Medicare funds where eligible.

Mrs. Bartle and Miss Barbara Brady a social work student form the University of Georgia, have been setting up a telephone reassurance program, whereby people living alone are checked on daily at a certain time. If there is no response, a central source will be contacted and that home will be visited. A part of the original plan of Project AWARE was to coordinate and develop activity programs such as sewing and knitting classes, monthly social gatherings and speakers of interest. Mrs. Laurie Mell, also a social work student from the University of Georgia, has been working on this phase of the program.

Don Gilpin of WETV, Channel 30, who directs a program for the elderly know as THE GOOD NEW DAYS, had asked to do a presentation to acquaint the city with Project AWARE. He was invited to be present at the meeting on November 6, and interviewed several of the people present as well as the staff. This program can be seen on Sunday, November 26, at 4 p.m. and again on Friday, December 1, at 6:30 p.m.

Mrs. Bartle has also held meetings of social service agencies and ministerial groups in the West End. Several people have remarked that this is the first time that a united effort has been made in the West End in behalf of our elderly.

Project AWARE, which began on August 15, 1972, and has been so effective to date, suddenly finds a very dark cloud hovering over it. In fact, its very existence is threatened due to President Nixon’s veto cutting social welfare assistance. Project AWARE was made possible through matching funds from Title XVI money. The project received word that no funds will be forthcoming after December 1. The people of West End and the staff at Catholic Social Services realize the value of the project and are exploring every means to secure money to insure its continuation after December 1.

Father Jacob Bollmer, the director of Catholic Social Services, estimates that it will require $20,000 to maintain this program from the termination date of December 1 to the end of the year. So far, funding sources have not been found.