SAN AUGUSTINE, TX (KTRE) -
Why would
representatives from four federal social service agencies fly all the way from
Washington, D.C. for a one day meeting in San Augustine? It all started with a
county judge wanting to see change in her rural community.
San Augustine County
Judge Samye Johnson spoke of a venture to the backwoods of San Augustine County.
She met a very poor woman in desperate need of her medicines. Johnson came to
her aid but has since learned that it's impossible to individually help all the
others.
"We have a lot
of elderly who live in our county," Johnson said. "Many of them have worked
hard all their lives. They've never been plugged in to a social service network
before and they're out in the woods starving to death."
This room is filled
with the people whose job it is to help. Johnson brought them together for a
social needs summit.
"How can we get services that are here and
that are very good to our people, and what services do they need that we don't
know about?" Johnson said.
Johnson's persistence
in finding answers helped get representatives from four federal social service
agencies and two state agencies to the summit.
"It wasn't an
easy meeting to get to, but to commit that kind of resources to this kind of
summit today is very unique," Kevin Monroe, a representative for X Factor
Consulting who flew in to attend the meeting, said.
A survey conducted by
the SFA Social Work Department of at least 2,000 San Augustine County residents
will create a starting point for change.
Dr. Emmerentie
Oliphant, who heads the SFA School of Social Work's master's program, said
explained what the survey is all about.
"It's just such
as the struggles people are experiencing and the strengths they are
experiencing," Oliphant said.
The Columbia Center
will provide mapping, so no isolated cluster of need will be missed.
"Creating an
innovative solution is a great opportunity and I compliment the judge for
getting out there," Dr. Darrell McDonald said. "She's a very compassionate
woman."
Bureaucratic ways are difficult to change. But
this petite county judge from rural East Texas is willing to try.
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2012 KTRE. All rights reserved.
