United Way seeks funding from Dougherty County for summer program

By Alan Mauldin

[email protected]

ALBANY – In the wake of its first year of providing summer activities to Dougherty County youngsters, the United Way of Southwest Georgia is seeking to line up funding for 2027.

On Monday, the agency made a pitch to the Dougherty County Commission for $100,000 for next summer. 

“We are here today because we are starting to serve families for 2027,” United Way President and CEO Orson Burton Jr. said. “Next summer, we are looking to reach at least 2,500 with a goal of 3,000. We wanted to come to y’all early to see if it was your pleasure to (participate).”

The city of Albany provided the bulk of funding for 2026 in the amount of $350,000. The County Commission did not contribute, but the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office did increase the number of participants in its annual summer program to help offset the loss of the National Youth Sports Program, which had operated at Albany State University for much of five decades.

During the first summer, the United Way program reached 2,140 youngsters, with 1,860 formally enrolled and representing 1,281 families, according to the agency. Of those, 280 were experiencing homelessness.

Out of those served, 643 received fee subsidies that totaled $40,312, and nearly 60,000 meals and snacks were served. The program lasted for 10 weeks and included physical and educational activities.

For the effort, the United Way worked with 18 area organizations, including some that have previously offered summer activities. Among those was Swim For Life, a program initiated by Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler which had its 11th season this year. 

Commissioner Victor Edwards said that he does not want the summer initiative to duplicate services that were already being provided.

“One hundred thousand (dollars) ain’t even where I am,” he said. “We have Swim For Life that we fund. I don’t need you to charge me $100 to oversee Swim For Life. I don’t need your oversight for the sheriff’s office.”

Responding to a question from Edwards, Burton said that the administrative costs for the 2026 program were 14.1% of total costs.

The numbers indicated that a good portion of total spending did not go to the various camps supported by the initiative, Commissioner Russell Gray said, with administrative, enrollment and other costs eating into the total spent directly on programs.

“At the end of the day, I think we need to find another way to more efficiently get funding to youth,” Gray said.

The expenditures included grants to camps to allow them to expand their programs as well as the subsidies provided to students to allow them to afford the program, Burton said. 

“United Way of Southwest Georgia was not a beneficiary of the administrative and operational funds,” he said. “We spent the bulk on programs.”

For next summer’s program, the agency plans to request funding from the city for a second year of operation as well as the Dougherty County School System, Burton said. Burton addressed the Albany City Commission on Tuesday to give the final report for the summer’s activities.