Thanks to the Mercer County Commission for Women, area residents should begin finding it a bit easier to access human service information.

The commission, which serves in an advisory capacity to the county's board of commissioners, recently announced it had published a 2003 version of the Mercer County Human Services Directory.

The project took more than a year to complete and the free pocket-sized booklets are available countywide at social service providers, libraries, hospitals and other public buildings.

County Commissioner Olivia M. Lazor, the board's liaison to the commission, said the booklet provides an easy reference for human and public services, including the areas of education, drug and alcohol treatment, mental health, food pantries, government agencies, healthcare, housing, job training, legal services, senior citizens, recreation, support groups

The commission received $5,000 from the Humans Services Development Fund via the county to produce the publication.

"They did an excellent job," Mrs. Lazor said. "It was a long and very hard process for them to go through. The old booklet was very outdated and they got a nice core of information for service delivery. I commend them for the work they did. They put a lot of hours in it. These are all volunteers and they were all committed to the task. And I'm deeply appreciative of their efforts."

Mrs. Lazor said this is actually the second directory the 15-member commission has done. Under the direction of Leslie Brazel, a committee took the original version and through a long and sometimes tedious process updated it.

"A lot of what was in it was very outdated," said commission treasurer Mrs. Brazel, of Jackson Center. "We felt the need to expand on what was there and also add some of the new services that are available in the community for everyone. ... It just seemed to blossom into a wonderful directory and I am very proud to be a part of it."

The commission, which Mrs. Brazel said has operated on a $1,000 yearly county allocation the last two years, was established in 1990 through the interest of the Women's Task Force and the commissioners to advocate for the rights of women and to assess how the needs of women and children are being met in the county.

The organization meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the first Monday of every month and the meetings are open to the public. Because of ongoing construction at the courthouse, it has been meeting at the 911 Center in Mercer, but expects to resume meeting at the courthouse beginning in January.

Information: 724-342-4041.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Jeff Greenburg at jgreenburg@sharonherald.com.