General assistance office reports modest caseload increase and lower request totals than prior year

Story County General Assistance staff reported Aug. 5 that the program served 18 more households in the reported fiscal year compared with the prior year while total requested assistance dollars were about $214,000 lower than the previous year. The department said January and June were the busiest months, with 111 and 121 applications respectively, and noted current typical increases in traffic tied to lease turnover in Ames. Staff added a full-time administrative assistant in May to help manage duties and intake processes. The general-assistance report also noted an ongoing effort to better capture assistance provided by faith-based partners — specifically naming Christ Community Church’s twice-monthly $500 assistance — and said staff plan to improve coordination and data-sharing with those providers. Supervisors asked whether the drop in requested dollars reflected clients going elsewhere for help; staff said they would research historic patterns and work to improve partner reporting. No formal action was taken; the report was for information.