Ensuring the delivery of human services to the poor and unemployed of Aliquippa in a safe location was AAUD’s initial focus and remains its hallmark today. The Franklin Center is located in the heart of the distressed downtown district of Aliquippa and is easily accessible for the community’s most needy residents. The center assists approximately 5,000 clients annually through various programs housed at the center. All of the clients that are served by the Franklin Center are Beaver County residents, with approximately 40% of those living in Aliquippa. The income levels for the majority of the clients fall well below the federal poverty guidelines. Services provided at the Center include utility assistance, health awareness programs, medical care, mental health counseling and literacy training. The AAUD Workforce Development Resource room is housed in the Franklin Center.

The following is a current list of service providers seeing clients at the Franklin Center:

• Drug and Alcohol Services of Beaver Valley, Inc.
  
• Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
  
• S.P.A.L.M.C.’s GED Program
  
• Beaver County Children and Youth Services
  
• Beaver County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
  
• Mature Services
  
• H.E.L.P., Inc.
  
• Dollar Energy/LIHEAP-Crisis
  
• The Primary Health Network/Aliquippa Medical Center
  
• Reading Excellence Program
  
• Beaver County Drug and Alcohol Intensive Case Management
  
• Gateway Rehabilitation Center’s Teen Anger Management
  
• Project Star
  
• Utility Assistance

Dollar Energy

The Dollar Energy program and a variety of Customer Assistance Programs, CAP, help low-income consumers who are facing termination of utilities. The majority of clients are the elderly and young families with children. As of 2002, through AAUD’s efforts, this program has helped 11,587 applicants from low-income families with $3,568,195.96 in grants awarded. The AAUD works year-round to help families stabilize and become self-sufficient. During visits for energy assistance, the Center serves clients with other documents and form needs including PACE, Senior Citizen Rent/Tax Rebates, insurance forms, property tax forms, and financial forms, etc., helping to remove additional obstacles to self-sufficiency.

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RSVP

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program provides opportunities for individuals 55 and older to participate in meaningful volunteer activities throughout Beaver County. The program matches the skills and interests of volunteers with social service agencies in need of extra assistance. Special programs such as Regeneration, a senior home repair program, food drives, and seasonal Aliquippa downtown clean-up activities, provide new solutions to identified needs in the community.

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