Staff Writer

Upson's neighborhood service center, which was located on West Gordon Street, has been closed because of lack of funding, but what does that mean to the local citizens who depended on the various services it offered?

Upson's neighborhood service center wasn't the only one closed. Because of the lack of grant funding, all but six of 13 service centers in the area have shut their doors.

“We will still serve the residents of Thomaston, but there will be no permanent office in Upson,” said Robin Doster, who works with the neighborhood service center. “The number of people served depends on the amount of funding in the county.”

The neighborhood service center offers energy assistance, emergency food and shelter programs, and a commodity distribution program, as well as many other programs to help local citizens.

The citizens of Upson will suffer no lapse in service because of the location change of the service center, and the same programs will be offered. In fact, everything should stay the same except the location of the center.

For more information on the move and to find out more about how the neighborhood service center will now operate, call June Welchel at the office in Pike County at the local number 770-567-8116 or at 1-866-441-6549.