Overflow Church in the northeast section of the city operates a year-round, Wednesday dinner initiative for needy people in the neighborhood, with the help of the Salvation Army, which delivers the food to those who can’t get out.

In the cool seasons, ham, sloppy Joe and chicken Alfredo are served in the church, where the mood tends to be subdued; while in summer, hot dogs and hamburgers are served in nearby Jefferson Park on the 100 block of Fourth Avenue, where things are festive, there are games like cornhole and basketball and often a theme, like the Hawaiian night coming up June 17, according to Aimee Burns, assistant pastor at Overflow.

The approximately decade-old Wednesday dinner program started by Overflow Pastor Richard Cox relies on donations, especially food — but its budget also depends on funding from the city’s Community Development Block Grant program, according to Burns, who was pleased Wednesday to learn that the city plans to allocate $33,200 for the program this fiscal year, out of a total CDBG pot of $1.595 million.

The Wednesday dinner program used to average about 155 people per week, but in April, that number rose suddenly to about 200, “probably because of the economy and the cost of everything going up,” Burns said.

It serves low-income people, no-income people, people from halfway houses and homeless people, and they start arriving about 4 p.m., with dinner beginning at 5 and continuing until 6 or the food runs out, Burns said.

Church staffers mingle with them, asking about their needs, listening to what they have to say, Burns said.

Everyone is “always super appreciative, super nice,” she said.

With the program, the church tries to create “a safe community space,” “to let them feel heard” — and in the summer, especially, “to make it fun,” she said.

“There is a lot more buzzing” and lots more laughter in summer than in winter, she said.

For the first five years, the program only ran in the summer, in the park.

The church advertises the free program on Facebook and with banners in the park.

There’s also word of mouth.

Cox started the program “because he has an amazing heart,” Burns said.

“He wants everyone in the community to know they’re loved,” she said.

Funding disbursal

The city’s proposed CDBG program this year received a total of $1.515 million in new money from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to CDBG Manager Diana White.

The program also generated $80,000 in income.

The proposed CDBG spending program calls for allocating:

— $411,000 for a single-family homeowner rehabilitation loan program for low- and moderate-income families;

— $400,000 for curbs, sidewalks and ramps on both sides of two blocks along Howard Avenue;

— $303,000 for program administration, which includes monitoring, coordinating, oversight and project evaluation;

— $200,000 for street reconstruction in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods;

— $88,000 for the Altoona Housing Authority to cover a required 25% match on a Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency grant to help seniors aging in place;

— $60,000 for LTM homeowners to make emergency repairs for their roofs, with no-interest loans that can be forgiven over four years;

— $58,000 for the Overflow Church winter Warming Center initiative;

— $33,000 for the Overflow Church Wednesday dinner initiative;

— $20,000 for replacement of a 11 obsolete air bag lifting systems at one of the fire stations;

— $12,000 for no-interest loans that can be forgiven over four years for emergency repairs for low- and moderate-income owners of single-family, owner-occupied homes, with a limit of $5,000 for correction of exterior code violations and a limit of up to $20,000 for heating, plumbing and electrical system issues;

— $8,000 for replacement of four obsolete vehicle stabilization struts at two of the fire stations.

HOME funding

The city also received $290,000 this year in HOME funds:

— $131,000 for a Rental Rehabilitation Program, which provides a half match of up to $25,000 for landlords, who then must rent to income eligible tenants for five years;

— $130,000 for Improved Dwellings of Altoona’s Community Development Corp to replace 170 double-hung windows in a very-low-income senior housing development in the Woodrow Wilson Gardens in Garden Heights;

— $29,000 for administration.

HUD regulations require that 70% of municipalities’ CDBG funding go for the benefit of their low- and moderate-income population, White said.

Municipalities are permitted to take as much as 20% for CDBG administration.

Up to 15% of a municipality’s allocation can be used for public service projects.

Up to 30% of a municipality’s allocation can be used for slum and blight removal.

This year’s new CDBG funding is $50,000 less than last year’s amount.

This year’s HOME funding is $25,000 more than last year’s amount.

City Council is expected to approve the slate of projects at its meeting Monday.

HUD has until the end of the state’s fiscal year on June 30 to approve municipal plans.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.