DAPHNE, Ala.—Community Action Agency of Baldwin, Escambia, Clarke, Monroe and Conecuh counties will hold a town hall meeting to raise awareness about services the agency provides and to address how the struggling national economy affects local poor, disabled and senior citizens. The meeting is set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Community Action Agency office on Pollard Road.

The focal point will be how the economic recession affects the lives of Baldwin County residents.

“We’ve seen more individuals (seeking the agency’s services) due to the economy,” executive director Cassandra Boykin said. “It led us to believe people are having harder times making ends meet.

“You have some people who know we’re here. But when you start getting people in when they get laid off from their jobs, they’re facing foreclosure. They’re coming in for food.”

Boykin added that the agency is dealing with more feeding, job training and placement issues. Before the recession, the agency would regularly serve food to about 35 people. These days, Boykin said she weekly expects close to 100 people.

Part of Tuesday’s meeting aims to inform those needy who are still unaware of the agency’s services.

“We’re just going to share with the community things we do as an agency,” Boykin said.

Some services the agency offers include: Head Start, a child services program; home weatherization and repairs; job training; child nutrition; and day care.

See the rest of this story in the May 13 Daphne Bulletin.