Thanks for the excellent article on the Woodside Rent Assistance Program (WRAP). (The Aiken Standard, Saturday, January 30, page 2A)
Although I was listed in the article as a co-founder of WRAP, it was actually Pete Messina’s idea. I just helped him to think about the concept. Pete and I are the fundraiser for WRAP. Initial efforts generated pledges of more than $ 25,000. It is a start, but much more is needed.
Dedicated ACTS staff does the heavy lifting – they select candidates and determine the best way to help the person seeking assistance. If you have not yet visited the ACTS building, I recommend that you do so. They are busy on many fronts, helping our fellow citizens. It was a revelation for me. And although they have the assistance and support of more than 60 churches in the area, it is mainly a charity, not a religious organization.
We are blessed to live in a wonderful city and county. Southern Living magazine got it right a few years ago, naming Aiken as “The Best Small Town in the South”. But Aiken won this award in large part because of the people who live here and who recognize the responsibility to help the less fortunate.
The pandemic confused us all. As we try to turn the corner in 2020, we are seeing what is described as a “K” shaped recovery. The rising part of the “K” shows that those who had money saw their savings increase. The descending part of the “K” represents those who continue to struggle daily to survive – to find jobs, to stay healthy, to feed their families and to pay routine bills, such as rent and utilities. WRAP was designed to try to address part of that need. Please, if you can, visit the ACTS website and promise to support our neighbors who are in desperate need of your help. Visit atosofaiken.org and click on “Donate” and then select “Woodside Rent Assistance Program”.
Brian Robertson
Aiken