Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
One of Kosciusko County's most-used social service agencies is looking for a new home.
Combined Community Services, now at 212 E. Market St. in Warsaw, is looking at commercial and residential buildings where they could relocate.
"It has to be done and it's just a little scary when we don't have any possibilities at this point," said Marty Courtney, CCS director.
The charity was notified in November that its landlord, Reub Williams & Sons Inc., was approached by a prospective buyer for the property. A previous agreement between the parties allows CCS at least six months to find a suitable site for a new headquarters.
The CCS board of directors has been looking at houses and at suitable commercial properties, but Courtney said they need at least 3,000 square feet and a storage area, such as a garage.
"We've got the right number of rooms here - they just need to be bigger," she said, referring to their present Market Street home, which houses a staff of three full-time and three part-time people.
Staying in or near downtown Warsaw is a priority because it puts CCS clients close to other agencies and locations they often need to visit, such as the county courthouse or the Warsaw Housing Authority, Courtney said.
As a charity, CCS also must find a building or a house that is either affordable or donated by a community-minded individual. Price is a major concern to an organization that has not paid rent the entire time it has been in its current location, since 1984.
"One thing we've always prided ourselves on is our low operating costs," Courtney said. "We want to keep overhead expenses as low as we can."
CCS is a United Way agency that channels help from area churches to people in need. It refers people to the necessary agencies, provides emergency or immediate assistance, and helps with counseling and career training.
By using CCS as a kind of coordinator for aid, duplication of services between churches and social service agencies is often avoided.
Courtney said the organization's emphasis on service to the indigent and elderly will not change. "Our concern is, we need a home," she said. "We need a home so we can keep them in their homes."
