In a variety of instances, residents throughout Lawrence County and the region need help from various resources.

Whether it is a need after a natural disaster like flooding or simply a difficult personal situation, residents may have a need for food and shelter, and the Community Services Block Grant helps fill that void.

Through the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization, this is a benefit for the communities and other organizations and churches to provide resources to meet the needs of those who are in need.

However, the funding through this program should not be viewed as just a hand out, as those organizations that receive funding to help residents go through a vetting process to determine what the need is. This allows the CSBG resources to be used in the correct manner to help as many as possible.

Last year alone, the grant through the various funding opportunities helped more than 1,000 residents. This program has made a vast impact for many throughout the years.

We applaud the efforts of those involved in securing the grant funding to help those residents in need with various resources.

In the current economic climate, residents will have the need for help in many instances, and this program provides those resources to our communities.