Communities in Schools of Georgia looking to expand in Dougherty County

ALBANY, Ga. – During Monday’s commission meeting, county commissioners learned of a non-profit organization called Communities in Schools of Georgia.

“We collect data, we track the attendance of our students, the grades of our students, Albany State interns come in and help mentor our students, tutor our students,” says Regional Program Manager Simone Turner, “Through Feeding the Valley, we provide the food bank in our schools so that student have food that they can take home on the weekends.”

The organization also provides schools support with drop-out prevention, helps students being affected by food insecurity and provides resources for social/emotional mental health and they’re looking to expand their presence in Dougherty County.

“The ultimate goal is to expand here in Dougherty County to provide those services, currently we’re not in a high school however, we would like to be because we know that these kids continue to grow.”

Turner says COVID-19 has affected many schools throughout the state but that Communities in Schools continues to support the families under their wing.

“Right now things are virtual, even with some students being in schools some students aren’t so we do have the ability to help, we are offering virtual tutoring to those students.”

The organization is currently in five Dougherty County Schools but wants to expand their reach with a partnership with the county.

No decision was made on the matter. More information on the non-profit can be found here.