DeKalb human services outlines $1.7M day-shelter, youth and senior programs at District 4 meeting

At a District 4 Community Connections meeting, Damon Scott, director of DeKalb County Human Services, detailed the department’s network of programs and recent investments, saying the office “serves and connects” residents across the lifespan and touches roughly 120,000 people in the county each year.

Scott said the board recently approved about $1.7 million to establish a day shelter for people experiencing homelessness in a Hope‑centered outbuilding at Peace Baptist Church near I‑285 and Covington. “We’re really excited to get that online,” he said, adding the county is also pursuing a longer‑term shelter and using general‑fund dollars to provide wraparound services that federal grants may not cover.

Why it matters: Scott framed the shelter and other programs as part of a broader safety‑net strategy. He credited county and nonprofit partners with delivering case management, transportation and home‑based services that he said prevent smaller problems from becoming crises.

Scott walked through aging‑services figures for District 4, reporting 948 residents enrolled in aging services (about 18% of the county’s aging clients), 803 senior‑center members in the district and 74 people receiving in‑home case management. “Our senior centers are a major part of what we do,” said Charlotte Newton Daniel, human services administrator, who emphasized home‑delivered meals, respite and personal‑care services for homebound seniors.

Scott also highlighted new programming for caregivers: the county’s memory cafe, launched in September 2024 at the East Central DeKalb Community and Senior Center in Stone Mountain, is open to people with memory impairment of any age and their caregivers. He pointed residents to a caregiver conference at Lou Walker Senior Center that will include resources and guest speakers focused on the “sandwich generation” — family members caring for older and younger relatives.

Youth services were another focus. Scott described an Office of Youth Services that serves people from birth through age 24 with 18 specialized programs — including Embark Youth Farm, the Rise Up leadership program, technical‑skills programming, vouchers for summer camp and a youth summit addressing mental health. “If you do not invest in your youth, you do not invest in your future,” Scott said.

Scott and Deborah Fittado, who manages partnerships and grants, also described a Department of Justice planning grant to design a community violence‑intervention model. The grant will fund hotspot mapping, hospital partnerships with Grady and Emory, violence interrupters working in communities and an asset map to inform targeted wraparound services; the team said final reports will go to commissioners this summer.

Practical details: Scott encouraged residents to use the county resource guide and upcoming outreach events, including a Park 500 resource day and the commissioner’s community cookout. He noted that many human services funds are routed through competitive grants monitored by the department — 55 grantees countywide and 13 in District 4, he said — and that awards require a score threshold and board approval.

Next steps: Staff said they will continue scheduled community sessions and distribute contact and program sign‑up information online and via the commissioner’s newsletter.