From left: Sheila Woodard (DETCOG), Donna Sprouse (DETCOG), Rotary President Chad Nehring, and Tracy Bolton (DETCOG)
July 28, 2026 - Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) representatives visited with the Rotary Club of Center during their Tuesday, July 28, 2026 meeting at the Civic Center.
Shelia Woodard and Tracy Bolton spoke about the F.A.Y.S. program, Family and Youth Success, and is designed to help kids ages 0-17. The state funded program's primary goal is family preservation and counselors work with families to address issues. Problems families face include homeless, runaway, fighting with parents, using drugs, failing classes, living in an unsafe place, or dealing with peer pressure. Services offered include counseling family, group, and/or individuals; communication skills; anger management; conflict resolution; problem solving; parent education; referral services; crisis intervention; and child abuse and neglect awareness.
Another program of DETCOG's highlighted was the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and the Aging and Disabilities Resource Center (ADRC). Donna Sprouse explained the AAA program provides services and funding to enable older citizens to live dignified, independent, and productive lives. Services include funding for senior centers that provide congregate and home delivered meals and activities for persons age 60 and older; provides health education programs; care coordination; caregiver support services; benefits counseling; and an ombudsman for residents of long-term care facilities. She also spoke about the ADRC which provides information, assistance and options counseling to older persons and persons of all ages with a disability to help them gain access to long-term care programs, services and support so that they might continue to live in their own communities.
For more information about these programs and others programs, visit https://www.detcog.gov/.
