Dear Editor,
There are many in our community who face significant obstacles
such as homelessness, domestic violence, child abuse and mental
illness. Many of them also live in poverty.
Dear Editor,
There are many in our community who face significant obstacles such as homelessness, domestic violence, child abuse and mental illness. Many of them also live in poverty.
One of the things poverty does is to reduce your options. We give our clients opportunities: a safe place to get away from an abusive spouse, counseling to recover from mental illness, and new ways for families to be together that’s healthy and nurturing for their children.
Last year, we helped more than 12,000 people make positive changes in their lives. One of our key partners in that effort was Santa Clara County.
We work collaboratively with the county to provide shelter and supportive services for women and children fleeing domestic violence; to help youth make the transition, at 18, from foster care to independent living; and to provide a crisis line that’s available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with immediate interventions for youth and families.
These are just a few of the services we provide with support from the county.
But successive state and federal funding cuts are eroding the county’s ability to fund essential services such as these. In the last four years the county has had to cut over $600 million dollars from its budget. These cuts are felt directly by our agency and our clients. And there’s no relief on the horizon.
The county executive is projecting budget deficits of over $160 million every year through 2010. The impact of these cuts would be devastating.
We have partnered with the county over the last four years to minimize the impact of the cuts on our clients and our community. But after so many years of consecutive cuts, our ability to increase efficiencies, increase workloads and minimize expenses is at its limit. And the need for services continues to increase.
So, what can we do?
We can pass Measure A. Measure A will give the county a local funding source it can control and use to address local needs. While it can’t solve all of our needs, it is the only way to ensure that critical services are maintained, and that that everyone in our community has the opportunity to realize their potential and become a positive force in our community.
Please join me and Community Solutions in supporting Measure A.
Erin O’Brien, President/CEO Community Solutions
