please find the press release below and attached photograph

GNTC NEWS
Date: March 22, 2011
GNTC Social Work Assistant Students Help North Georgia Community
Action
This month, Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) Social Work Assistant
students worked with North Georgia Community Action (NGCA) to determine if Walker
County residents would be eligible for the Energy Assistance program.
North Georgia Community Action is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the
quality of life for residents in their service area. According to NGCA, the Energy
Assistance program is one of the most highly utilized programs and is designed to
provide financial assistance to low income families and individuals in order to help offset
the increased costs of home heating during the winter season.
Susan Suitz, director of North Georgia Community Action, received over 1,200
applications from residents in the Walker County area. She quickly realized that she and
her current staff could not handle the large amount of applications and contacted GNTC
for their support.
The students put into action the
fundamentals they had been learning in
the classroom. Fifteen students met at
the Second Baptist Church in LaFayette
where they helped the residents
complete the applications necessary
to see if they could qualify for up to
$350 to pay for energy bills.
According to Pamela Turner, director
and instructor of the Social Work
Assistant program, “my students made
a real difference in the North Georgia
area.”
Richard “Tirere” Nelson, GNTC student,
helps Walker County resident

GNTC’s Social Work Assistant program is designed to prepare individuals to obtain entrylevel
employment in public and private social service agencies. The social work assistant
is equipped with the skills, knowledge, values, and sensitivity to effectively serve human
needs in a variety of community settings. Students have the option to select courses that
will prepare them to provide client services, as well as support for families in a variety of
fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They may assist clients in
identifying social and community services that will best assist them. They may assist the
social worker in developing, organizing, and conducting programs to resolve problems
relevant to human relations, substance abuse, adult day care, and rehabilitation.
To learn more about the Social
Work Assistant program, please
visit us at www.GNTC.edu.
Pictured above: Alicia Brock,
GNTC student, lends a hand
to North Georgia Community
Action
Pictured left: Jackie Orrick,
GNTC student, makes a
difference in Walker County