NEWS from ACTION, INC.

September 20, 2002 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Action, Inc., has named Ralph Johnson as director of shelter, a new position that will include expanding programs and developing related services for Action's work in providing shelter for homeless and transitionally homeless on Cape Ann and in Ipswich.

His appointment comes as the state Department of Transitional Assistance has cut its funding for shelter programs statewide by 15 percent. Many shelters are reducing capacity and curtailing programs.

Action intends to continue the same level services as before at its shelter in Gloucester, but is concerned about being able to provide sufficient staffing. The shelter has 20 beds and houses about 250 men and women every year, about 70 percent of whom have Cape Ann roots.

Johnson said the state's budget cuts ultimately shift the problem of providing shelter for homeless men and women to the private sector. He is seeking new sources of money to make up for the $40,000 shortfall in state funding for Action's shelter.

Action plans to increase services for homeless and transitionally homeless men and women at its shelter by strengthening its current substance abuse counseling program and providing regular mental health counseling.

Johnson, 48, comes to Action from running a small business for two years. He was previously director of intake for the New England Home for Little Wanderers for 10 years and worked for other social services organizations in Massachusetts and in New Jersey.

Johnson is a former member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council Against Adolescent Drug Abuse. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Salem State College and lived in Gloucester while attending classes there.

Action, Inc., is a private, nonprofit organization and was founded in 1965. It is the oldest and largest agency helping low-income families and individuals on Cape Ann and in Ipswich. Its programs include Elder Care, employment and job training services, energy conservation and fuel assistance, housing advocacy, legal services, adult foster care, and the Compass program for at-risk youth.

Contact: Chanda Millett Shin, 978-283-7874