News from the state

This week I can’t help but continue on my soapbox of budget cuts and the devastating fallout that I believe will follow some our public officials’ decisions. Just yesterday I received an email alert from the Maryland Budget & Tax Policy Institute. The title is, “Steady Diet of Cuts is Making Maryland Sick - Also Homeless and Uneducated: Maryland falls short on essential services”. (Source: www.marylandpolicy.org/Cutsmakingussick.asp.)

This article reports that major reductions have already been made that reduce essential services affecting “public schools, hospitals treating Medicaid patients, local governments, and many other state-funded services.” Cuts to early learning programs and wait lists for child care subsidy could mean more low-income parents will enter the roles of the unemployed. The state already made significant cuts in K-12 education in previous fiscal years resulting in “a slow degradation of education quality and a renewed widening of the performance gap between schools in rich and poor areas.”

Direct impact to the resident women at Hope Alive and those who call searching for help will most likely include the following:

• Unmet addiction treatment needs and inadequate treatment services
• $9.5 million loss to community mental health services
• Medical assistance provider rate reductions forcing more and more medical providers to stop serving Medical Assistance patients and losing their access to care
• Elimination of $500,000 in rental assistance to low-income recipients from the Department of Housing and Community Development’s current FY 30% cut in rental allowance program that is used to end chronic homelessness and prevent homelessness for low-income families facing eviction. (A woman calling Hope Alive for services this week reported that the Department of Social Services has posted signs in their lobby notifying clients that "no housing help is available".)

The Maryland Budget & Tax Policy Institute appropriately responds by stating “education from early learning to higher education is not wasteful spending. Medical treatment and related services are all necessary. Housing is a human right that all Marylanders must have access to. Frankly, none of these programs are exactly ’fat and happy’ and do not represent wasteful spending. In fact, they all have their own compelling stories of critical unmet needs.” The Institute promotes the critical need to look for a balanced approach to balancing the budget and presents viable measures to increase revenue.

We praise and thank God daily that He provides Hope Alive as a safety net for homeless families and sustains our core services to the escalating number of women and children who so desperately need our help. Thank you for your faithful support and commitment to our mission and thanks for listening. I’ll keep information and updates coming your way. Check out our website for information about our upcoming Visions for Hope fundraising event on Thursday, April 28 benefitting our child development programs. It's a fun family-friendly event and all for a really great cause! Until next week …

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director

More county cuts

Early this week Hope Alive – among many other community nonprofits – received official notification from Frederick County that the total funding for the Grants for Human Services Program awards to nonprofit organizations has been cut by 25% for FY2012. This memorandum also warned grantees that the County expects “to see similar reductions to the Grants for Human Services Program of approximately $125,710 or 25% in each of the future fiscal years beyond FY2012.” And don’t forget about the 19% reduction that happened previously in FY2011. The bottom line? It’s no secret that the current Board of County Commissioners’ (BOCC) intention is to cut all funding to Frederick County nonprofit human service organizations. (Hope Alive’s $7,030 county grant was cut from the FY2011 budget, but our FY2012 application was recommended for $4,335 in funding.)

In addition, the BOCC announced in their 2/24/11 work session that an additional $108,536 for Non-County Agencies was “voluntarily” relinquished by the Department of Social Services (DSS). The word from DSS is that the county funding was not “voluntarily” relinquished, but that they were told to do so. So this week, DSS reduced their housing unit from 5 workers to 1.5 eliminating the rental assistance program that prevents evictions.

For some nonprofits, these decisions have far reaching financial impact forcing some organizations to reduce critical services to Frederick County residents. For all nonprofits, the service impact will be devastating placing the escalating demand for services on the backs of the already strained nonprofit sector. Comments from the BOCC in televised work sessions basically state that the nonprofits and churches will need to do more.

I agree with other nonprofits that if you are refused services from nonprofits and non-County agencies due to cuts in County funding, call the BOCC offices to let them know the impact. At Hope Alive we are already seeing the fallout from the BOCC’s earlier decision to relinquish the $2 million federal Head Start grant back to the federal government. The Emmitsburg Head Start program where Hope Alive’s 3 and 4 year old resident children attend half-days, closed its doors this week. Parents were told their children’s names would be kept on the waiting list if and when the center reopens. Thankfully, Hope Alive has a safety net for our children that attended Head Start as they now spend more time in our children’s center, but they will still miss the important supplemental services Head Start provided such as medical screenings, parent support and family advocacy.

On a more positive note, I'm so glad God is in charge and He is our provider and sustainer!

Please plan to attend our upcoming Visions for Hope event on Thursday, April 28th at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center in downtown Frederick. This is an important family friendly and fun fundraising event benefitting Hope Alive’s child development programs. You can read more on our website at http://www.hopealiveministries.org/. Until next week …

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director

Tough week

It was a tough week at Hope Alive. It started with our newest staff member breaking her leg requiring surgery, pins and plates. Ouch! She's on crutches and hobbling around the best she can and trying not to overdo it.

Then, another staff member had a stove fire in her apartment requiring a visit by the fire department. No one was hurt, but she was left needing a new stove and smoke smell in everything.

It was also an unusual week of having to make some really tough decisions involving residents. When it involves the lives of others, the decisions are especially difficult to make. Then God brought about a major heart change and that's what it's all about!

Then there was more disappointing decisions made by the Board of County Commissioners this week with their 25% cut to the County's Grants-In-Aid program providing critically needed funding for nonprofit services. This follows last year's funding cut to nonprofits with another 25% projected cut for FY13. Hope Alive submitted a grant for the current funding cycle so if it's rated and ranked among the highest, our funding from two years ago may be reinstated.

And every week we continue to hear the heartbreaking stories from families who are struggling to survive in our own backyard. This week, among others, we received calls from a mother dying of cancer and living on the streets with her two children and a woman with three children needing to flee violence in their home.

Even though it was a tough week, we were blessed to see the positive changes and continued determination of so many of our families as they press forward toward healing, recovery and self-sufficiency.

Please continue to pray for us, those we serve, and the many families who are homeless and on the brink of despair who need our help. Pray God will meet their needs and fill their lives with His life-changing love and hope of a future. As we've witnessed so much lately, we know God hears and answers our prayers! Until next week ...

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director

This week's highlights

This has been a week of exciting news! One of our resident moms passed her learner’s permit test and her pre-GED tests allowing her to register to take the state GED exam! She’s thrilled that she'll be driving soon and that college is now within reach!

Unlike most of us, one of our resident moms was anxious to visit the MVA this week to get tags and title for her very own car provided by Second Chance Garage in Frederick. Not only does this organization donate vehicles to families in need, but their required basic car care and budgeting classes help each recipient to keep their vehicles on the road. For our resident family, this is one more step forward toward independence and self-sufficiency!

And one more highlight of the week was the phone call we received from the Knott Foundation in Baltimore of their generous grant award to Hope Alive to fund our case manager position - a.k.a. Family Ministry Specialist! We are so grateful for the Knott Foundation’s belief in our mission and partnership in our service to homeless families. We'll feature this foundation in an upcoming newsletter.

I hope you’ll plan to join us for our upcoming Visions for Hope event on Thursday, April 28th. This is our really fun annual silent auction of children’s artwork - including our own Hope Alive children - to benefit our child development programs. Check out our website and Facebook page for more information on ticket sales, entry forms for children’s artwork, and event sponsorships. Hope to see you there!

I hope you're following the news of the Board of County Commissioner's decision last week to relinquish the federal Head Start grant and turn over the operation of this program to a federal contractor. We'll keep you updated as we start to see the impact and fallout of their decision in the coming weeks. Until next week …

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director

Speechless

This week I was speechless. It doesn't happen very often and doesn't last very long, but this week there were just no words I could find to adequately describe the decision and comments made by Frederick County's Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) at Tuesday's work session regarding the relinquishing of the federal Head Start grant. As a result of the commissioner's 4 to 1 vote to relinquish the funding back to the federal government, the Frederick County Head Start program will be turned over to a new federal contractor effective March 1, 2011. Commissioner David Gray was the only vote against it arguing they were making a rash decision.

Here are the facts presented by County employees at the BOCC worksession. Frederick County's Head Start program has operated in the county for nearly 40 years as a federal grantee and is a nationally recognized model. It's a 10 month program now serving 282 three and four year olds who are income qualified based on the federal poverty level. This is a national program that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, and social and other services to enrolled children and families. The program employees 80 people and operates with an annual budget of $4,516,442 of which $2,223,451 comes from grant revenue including $2,003,686 from a federal Head Start grant. The county's contribution to run this model program is $2,293,093.

So by cutting this program, the savings to the county are $2.3 million which is the sole purpose for relinquishing the federal grant and all other associated grants.

What leaves me speechless is the decisions they made to relinquish the federal grant with seeming disregard to the impact on the children and families served. As of March 1, 2011, Head Start will be operated by a federal contractor as the interim operator (Community Development Institute Head Start - a Denver-based contractor) for about a year or more until a new contractor and federal grantee is awarded. Eighty county employees will loose their jobs effective February 28, but "hope" to be picked up by this new operator. I guess it's supposed to be comforting that this new operator will hold a "job fair" for these 80 employees slated to loose their jobs at the end of the month. These are not only "county employees", but teachers and advocates dedicated to serving disadvantaged preschoolers and families in Frederick County - including our very own Hope Alive children!

What leaves me speechless is that the BOCC believes the nationally recognized Head Start program won't be significantly impacted by the $2.3 million cut from county funding. With the move back to the federal government, funding will be limited to the $2 million federal grant, but the County Commissioners assured citizens that services for county children and families in the program would continue. The math doesn't work and and no program can sustain that
level of funding cuts and maintain the quality of its program and core services. In a meeting with Head Start parents Thursday night, the new interim operator warned parents that "without the county funding, he is unsure if all the services Head Start provides will be available when it takes over." It's also surprising that Commission Young believes that nonprofits should pick up this program. I guess he's not aware that nonprofits have been struggling to survive for the past three years to sustain critically needed county services that the government doesn't provide.

What also leaves me speechless is that all the preliminary discussion was done behind closed doors. Tuesday's BOCC worksession was the first opportunity for public comment on the proposed cut and parents and teachers only received word the day before that this program was up for final vote at Tuesday's work session. The interim operator is already at work transitioning the program back to the federal government. The cost for the county to relinquish the Head Start program is estimated to be between $650,000 and $695,000 to fund annual leave payout, severance pay, and unemployment insurance.

I'm sure most folks realize this is just not a preschool program, but it ensures every disadvantaged preschooler that's enrolled is prepared for kindergarten and has the best chance at school success. I speak and write often about the needs of very low-income including homeless children - even through this blog - and the great disadvantage they have compared to children from moderate income families. The Head Start program prepares disadvantaged preschoolers in Frederick County for school readiness and is used and needed as a supplement to Hope Alive's child development program to address the unique needs of homeless preschoolers and ensure they have the best start in school and chance for success in life.

And finally, what really left me speechless were the comments made by two of the County Commissioners in response to tearful parents' pleas to preserve county funding and operation of the program. I'll let their comments speak for themselves. I don't even want to reprint them here. I know the Commissioners' comments were not intended to be offensive, but they were. Check it out for yourself on the BOCC work session video at http://frederick.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=5&clip_id=2541, the County press release at http://www.frederickcountymd.gov/documents/Board%20of%20County%20Commissioners/Press%20Releases%202011/February%202011/Head%20Start%20Transition.PDF, and the Gazette articles at http://gazette.net/stories/02092011/frednew175041_32611.php and http://gazette.net/stories/02112011/frednew110429_32547.php. The Frederick News Post articles are also available on their website.

It wasn't long before I found my voice again and I've been talking about it ever since. I'd love to know what you think. Better yet, let the Board of County Commissioners know what you think and let your voice be heard loud and clear! Thanks for reading. Until next week ...

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director

Moving forward toward hope and a future

For the past few months, one of our resident moms has been taking GED classes in preparation for the state exam. This week she took the pre-test exams and passed all the tests with flying colors! This means she can now register to take the state GED exam. Earning her high school diploma is one step toward her goals and dreams that will allow her to move on to college classes and pursue a new career. Prayerfully, she'll be proudly wearing her cap and gown this May at the Frederick County graduation ceremony. We can't wait!

One day on her way to GED class, this mom and Jody Julian (our Family Ministry Specialist) were chatting about her spiritual life and how God has intervened these last few months. In this mother's young faith and wisdom she said, "You never really know about God until you are really that down." God is intervening in her children's lives too. They are happy and well adjusted at Hope Alive and look forward to spending their days in our Children's Center. Just this week, the oldest of the two proudly sang the ABC song with another preschooler as we gathered for prayer. She was thrilled that her mom was there to hear her and beamed as we all applauded.

This mother's nightime panic attacks have now been replaced with peaceful sleep and she often speaks about the opportunities her family is blessed with now they have a secure, happy, and safe environment in which they can grow and thrive.

Please pray for this young mother as she prepares to take her state exam in the coming months. Pray for hers and every family who calls Hope Alive home as they dedicate themselves to important life-change and moving forward toward hope and a future. Thank you for walking this journey with us.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'll be happy to respond to them in my weekly blog or feel free to call or email me anytime. Until next week ...

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director

Healing from the inside out

Life change is the goal for our resident families which paves the way for them to permanently exit the roles of homelessness and experience self-sufficiency and hope of a future. Pursuing higher education, exploring new careers, and learning job readiness skills and effective money management - including debt resolution and savings - are all significant and measureable goals they need to accomplish. But the real life-change that God desires happens from the inside out. This is often the hardest work to do and for our moms it's the most painful and difficult.

Most of our resident women commit to this challenge in order to find true healing. This work involves exploring their personal faith journeys through a deepening relationship with God as well as identifying and addressing their emotional barriers to health and wholeness.

This week, four of our resident moms took a giant step in this direction by attending a "Walk Through the Bible" class at a local church. They signed up weeks ago because of their desire to know and understand more about God through His word. After dinner and clean-up, they packed up the van with all the children and headed off to church. In addition to their weekly worship attendance, this is a critical part of their journeys to healing from the inside out. I know God will meet them face to face as they desire to know Him and His Son Jesus.

Please continue to pray for our families as they dedicate themselves to this often painful life-change in order to find true healing and recovery and hope of a future. Until next week ...

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director