Oconee Area Resource Council Celebrates New Location

A hub of information and resources to assist Oconee County residents so that they may all live in a "healthy, safe and stable environment" has a new home. members held a ribbon cutting for the Oconee Area Resource Council on Tuesday.

The non-profit opened its doors at the new 20 North Main Street Watkinsville location on April 1, Executive Director Ann Hester said.  It had been previously located on Barnett Shoals Road.

The roots of the organization go back seventeen years to when a group of parents and teachers started to gather, she said. In 1993, the Council became a state-recognized Family Connection Partner.  Hester attended meetings and served on the volunteer board until she took the reins as executive director three years ago.

The Council is funded through grants and donations, and the Oconee County government acts as a fiscal agent that distributes money from the state to the organization, she said.

One of the projects that the Council helps with is the Senior Grocery Bag Program,  Hester explained to those in attendance.  The Council collects items like toothpaste, toilet paper and soap to include with food items that ACTION, Inc. and Hands on Georgia collect and distribute from the Bishop Community Center on a monthly basis to 36 area senior citizens on fixed incomes.

Along with information about local volunteer opportunities, trainings and workshops, such as Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS), are also available through the Council.

All are invited to attend meetings on the second Tuesday of every month at 8:30 a.m. at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Office in Watkinsville.

"So many people work outside of the county that it's hard to get them to know about everything," Hester said. "It's a good way to find out what (all volunteers) are doing."