Mathews residents down on their luck and having trouble meeting all their needs may be able to get help from a source they might not have considered: Mathews County Social Services.

Social Services Director Tiffany Gordon said that the agency has some limited discretionary funds available to help people who don’t qualify for such services as SNAP or TANF—federal programs normally associated with the agency that are targeted to people in specific income categories.

Thanks to contributions from private Mathews donors, a Mathews Community Foundation fund established by the now-defunct Owens Foundation, and the Women’s Giving Circle, Social Services has unassigned funds it can use to help families with such issues as an electric bill, rent, food or medications. If someone needs a new tire to be able to drive to work or their child needs a crib or a car seat, the agency can help, as well, said Gordon.

Gordon said when she first came to Mathews in 2016, the agency had a fund to hel...