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BELLEFONTE -- The Centre County Board of Commissioners addressed a number of items this week, including key community health and human services priorities.
On Tuesday morning, the board adopted a proclamation to raise awareness for a chronic, oftentimes debilitating, illness.
It also authorized federal grant funding to combat homelessness and housing instability within the County.
Grant Actions to Prevent Evictions and Expand
Emergency Shelter Access
The board approved a submission to the Department of Community and Economic Development's Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program. For fiscal year 2026, the grant total is $389,487.88 to fund services between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2027.
This submission outlined how the county and its partners would make strategic investments aimed at supporting Centre County residents who face housing insecurity.
In the application, the Office of Adult Services details plans to alleviate increases in homelessness and housing insecurity. The office will use the ESG funds to provide direct rental assistance to upwards of 80 homes facing eviction or financial instability.
Anticipated results would help 90 percent of those homes establish more long-term housing stability.
The application also spells out plans and goals for Housing Transitions to provide emergency shelter and other services that help people transition between living situations. Housing Transitions' plans would serve approximately 85 homeless households over the course of 18 months. Many of those households will exit Housing Transitions with permanent housing solutions and/or referrals to services that promote stability and prevent returns to homelessness.
Gastroparesis Awareness Month
The commissioners officially proclaimed August 2026 as Gastroparesis Awareness Month in Centre County.
Gastroparesis, which is commonly known as stomach paralysis, is a condition affecting roughly 5 million Americans, yet it is still a poorly understood chronic condition. Symptoms can include pain, nausea, vomiting and early satiety, each of which can vary in severity.
The chronic nature of these symptoms can lead to life-threatening complications, such as malnourishment, dehydration, esophageal damage and extreme blood sugar fluctuations. Currently, there is no known cure and effective treatments are sparse.
This proclamation seeks to spread awareness to the general public and to showcase the importance of advocating for expanded research. Moreover, in adopting this proclamation, the commissioners hope to increase awareness and support for people living with gastroparesis in our community and beyond.