DHR provides support for children, adults all year long

Dawn Hewitt took advantage of her visit with the Demopolis Rotary Club Wednesday to explain how the Marengo County Department of Human Resources aids children and adults in need throughout the year.

At the same time, she collected dozens of toys from Rotarians to distribute as part of DHR’s Project Merry Christmas.

“The Christmas spirit this year is much bigger than last year,” she said.

Project Merry Christmas started in 1979 with $50 as a program to give foster children a happier holiday, she said. It has grown since then, and this year will provide for 467 children and 288 families.

The number, for some unexplained reason, is down from previous years, Hewitt said. Because the account had funds left over from 2020, it now totals $27,000. That’s a good thing, she continued, since both toy and monetary donations are down this year.

DHR, she said, worked 97 Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) investigations during the year, involving 147 children. Of the 97 cases, 51 indicated abuse. Investigations have dropped, but the abuse indications have risen at the same time.

“We work really hard,” she said. “We try to do everything we can for kids.”

Hewitt encouraged members to let DHR know of any suspected cases of child neglect.

On the other end of the spectrum, DHR worked 60 elder abuse or neglect cases. She clarified that “elder” means anyone 18 years of age or older. The number has increased significantly since she first started working with DHR. At that time, she would handle up to 30 cases each year. The increase in numbers, Hewitt speculated, could be because of the rise in the number of older adults.

The Marengo County DHR has only one case worker to handle the elder abuse cases.

She explained that elder abuse cases usually involve exploitation where the family is given the money for care, but care is not provided.

“We end up having to intervene to try to get them what they need” she said.

So far this year the county DHR has issued $10 million in food stamps. That is in addition to any EBT funds distributed from the main office in Montgomery, Hewitt said.

DHR also collected $2.6 million in child support and this year, she added. “It puts more money back into the community.”