A Rockmart Community Transitional Housing Committee has been organized to fight homelessness one family at a time.

The group first met in January with representatives of Action Ministries of Atlanta. This organization has an established program to help families with children experiencing homelessness.

Sylvia Pound has been elected as the moderator of the local committee and Perry Barrett, vice-moderator. Archie Bagley is the secretary and Jimmy Jones, treasurer.

The goal of this group is to work with Action Ministries to find and select a family that will be placed in a house until they become self-sufficient and can move into a home of their own. This usually takes from 18 to 24 months.

Pastor Maryellen Hittel, Rockmart First Presbyterian Church, said the local group would be relieved of the old trial and error methods due to the oversight and direction of Action Ministries.

Information provided reveals that the organization operates 56 houses in 19 Georgia counties. With an 83 percent success rate, the program is sought in communities desiring to end homelessness.

Action Ministries will interview and select the family to enter the local program, which is designed to eliminate any bias or prejudice involved in the process.

Committee members noted the organization also has the expertise and facilities to obtain available funds from governmental agencies, such as the Department of Family and Children Services (DEFAC), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Department of Community Affairs (DCA).

Plans are to have the first family in place by July 1, 2013.

The process will be repeated once they be-come self-sufficient.

Transitional Housing Steering Committee members include Greg Thompson and Betty Bond, First Baptist Church; Patrick Ivey and Frank Baulding, First Zion; Archie Bagley, Piedmont Avenue; Andy Woodworth and Cheryl Shelkop, Aragon Methodist;

Charles Pinkard, Fair-view; Jimmy Jones and Perry Barrett, Rockmart First United Methodist; David Braziel and Marilyn Pollard, Church of the Lord Jesus; Maryellen Hittel, Sylvia Pound and Michael Smith, First Presbyterian; Christine Freeman, Linda Hayes, Sheila Pollard and others.