County grant update

Here's an update on Hope Alive's County grant status. I learned on Monday that the only opportunity we'd have to appeal the board's decision to cut Hope Alive's grant would be at the Board of County Commissioners' weekly work session. Resident Monica and I attended Thursday morning's session and both spoke on behalf of Hope Alive.

I emphasized the significant increase we're seeing in requests for services with a 36% increase from January to April over the same period last year. I talked about our current financial position of operating on a bare bones budget from a 28% reduction in 2009 forcing us to reduce the number of families we can serve in 2010 until we raise more funds. I stressed our need for the County's recommended $6,678 grant-in-aid so we can continue offering core services for our community's homeless families. As I told the Commissioners and shared in last week's blog, this grant equates to 508 bednights that we cannot provide this year if the grant is not reinstated for FY2011. I asked the board to reverse their decision and vote to reinstate the recommended grant-in-aid to Hope Alive.

Commissioners Gardner, Young, and Gray recognized the important service Hope Alive provides to the community and praised us for the significant work we've accomplished in our short 3 1/2 years since opening our doors. Monica followed my comments by sharing her devastating struggle of homelessness and said that without Hope Alive she would be dead - literally. She eloquently urged the Commissioners to vote to reinstate our grant so no other family would have to face what she was able to avoid.

You may have read in Thursday's Gazette the formal stand the Commissioners have taken against Commissioner Thompson's actions of requesting 12 nonprofit organizations to sign letters of credit for repayment of their grant awards to fund the employee's retirement trust. Hope Alive was one of those nonprofits that received Commissioner Thompson's email and letter of credit. Thankfully, Citizens Services and Commissioner Gardner confirmed that this was not sent from the board and Commissioner Thompson acted alone. No further comment here about this strange action by our esteemed public official.

The Commissioners have heard your voice - so thank you so much for your advocacy on our behalf. The final budget vote will occur next Tuesday, June 1. We are so grateful for the support and encouragement received through this process from so many wonderful county employees, elected officials and of course our wonderful Hope Alive supporters. When Monica and I left the hearing room, we felt completely at peace - leaving it in God's hands as to what the final outcome would be.

I've written a lot lately about the needs we're seeing in the community. May will be one more month that we'll see more than 30 requests for services so the increase over last year continues to rise.

Have a great holiday weekend. Until next week ...

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director