Box 3, Folder 13, Document 63

Box 3, Folder 13, Document 63

[ \\ Economic Opportunity Atlanta, Inc.

O F A\ - 101 Marietta Street Bldg. « Atlanta, Georgia 30303 e« Telephone 688-1012
T. M. Parham

Executive Administrato:

ees

"brought thirty million dollars in federal grauts to the At

November 8, 1968

Mr. Boisfeuillet Jones
Chairman

EOA Board of Directors

210 Peachtree Center Building
230 Peachtree Street, N.W. " |
Atlanta, Georgia 30303 :

Dear Mr. Jones:



Considering thé results of nationa}#and local elec
this week, it wowld seem advisable that those members
business oe who believe that
have had positive effects should w begin an effo#t to stress
the desirgbility of their continfance. Such an g@ffort would
not have to be a blanket endorgement of all curfent activities
but weéuld emphasize the main Ahrust of creating§g opportunity and
rendering unnecessary obstac¥es to social and-fuman growth.



programs



“Rs you tree hese programs have in the past four ye

community. Our social problems have not been eliminated bui
many needed programs, too costly for local resources, have
made possible:

oct
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— -

-.--5300 job placements have been made during
the past twelve months through EOA Centers...
330 Neighborhood Youth Corps slots were avail-
able for school dropouts...80,000 hours of
Mr. Boisfeuillet Jones -2- November 8, 1968

part-time work were available for youngsters
in the summer program...1100 boys have been re-
cruited this year for Job Corps enrollment...
1048 persons were enrolled in ACEP training
programs...EOA staff positions provided 350. jobs
for residents of target neighborhoods.
.-..-OEO-EOA |funds supported twelve day care
centers praviding two-thirds of all available-
"public" day care slots available in the
community (800 of approximately 1200)...EOA
Neighborhood Centers helped develop five youth
centers in neighborhoods with sparse recreational
facilities...a number of low income youngsters
have been given otherwise unattainable educational
opportunity through thé Upward Bound Program...
2300 children received the benefits of Summer
Head Start Programs.

|
..-OEO-EOA supvorted legal services have success-
fully challenged antiquated welfare regulations
and given a new degree of equity’ to the poor in
their dealings with those who exploit their
ignorance..:the Comprehensive Health Center will
provide a badly needed experiment in delivery of
preventive nedical services to 28,000 residents
of an inner-city slum...the Employment Evaluation
Center, now joperated by Georgia Vocational Re-
habilitation Agency and a valuable part of the
LEY Ss employability effort, got its start with
a two million dollar grant from OEO...Planned
parenthood is serving 7500 women in nine centers
with a large share of the funds from EOA...
Senior Citizens Service, largely through EOA
support, provides counselling, recreation, train-
ing, and transportation to 2500 aged participants
monthly...forty senior citizens work in the Foster




Mr. Boisfeuillet Jones -3- : November 8, 1968



Pritts Home.











---Aides in fourteen Neighborhood Service j
. Centers .c 596 versons curing the

past twelve montns....15,763 new requests

were received for social service assistance...

total atteneance at more than .2000 community

meetings duking the past twelve months was

124,250 and) provided a badly needed means of

expression and communication for the poor...

countless acts of Kindness have helved relieve

immediate distress.

—

Of course, no one argués §hat these programs have been ver-—
fected. Much has been learned, but we are still graopling daily
with such tough questions as develoning leadership among the
poor, moving groups toward constructive activities, motivating
the hard core unemploved, stretching limited dollars and using

eft 21 te Regardless of criticisms, the fact
v ne g @é and intangible, have been achieved
that have made this community a better olace to live. It is
i goins back to a time when such programs were
t if federal funding is severely diminished
the programs will be impossible toc During these
years when thirt. milllion dollars in onev has been
available, only approximately five hundred ousand dollars
been allocated by city] and county governments.

I: hope that Atlantta business end political leadership
will express themselves strongly to the new national adminis-
tration on the value of these efforts to continued community
growth and development. a

B
Me. Albért FF. Bows; Fe: a
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