The Miami Herald reports City of Hollywood to slash nearly $200,000 in grants it gives to local food banks, after-school programs and social agencies.
City of Hollywood residents will have a chance to voice their opinions during the City Commission’s two budget hearings, which are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 12 and 19 at City Hall, 2600 Hollywood Blvd.
Posted on Mon, Aug. 8, 2011 Hollywood set to eliminate social-service grants
BY CARLI TEPROFFThe Miami Herald
As nonprofit organizations grapple with state and federal funding cuts, the city of Hollywood is considering slashing the nearly $200,000 in grants it gives to local food banks, after-school programs and social agencies.
Some agencies say the hit will drastically affect services to those who need them most.
“We are just going to be able to provide as many services,” said Edith Lederberg, executive director of the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Broward County, which provides meals and programs for the elderly.
The proposed cuts — which amount to $191,000 distributed to 17 groups — come at a time when the city is struggling with a $38 million budget gap and has proposed to drastically slash employee benefits and increase taxes and fees by 11 percent.
According to city spokeswoman Raelin Storey, the city must cut all “extra” spending and focus on the essential services, including police and fire services.
“We are compassionate because we are in the same difficult financial position that many of these nonprofits are in,” she said. “But we don’t have a choice.”
Storey said cutting funds for social agencies is never an easy to decision, but with the city declaring financial urgency this year and slashing general employee salaries by 7.5 percent and police and fire employees by 12 percent, the city has exhausted all of its options.
“This is not something we take lightly,” she said.
City Commissioner Beam Furragreed, saying the fact that the city is even considering cutting the grants shows how desperate the financial situation has become.
He pointed at the city’s rising pension costs and the need for pension reform. “Pensions are swallowing up the city,” he said.
The city is negotiating pension benefits with the city’s three unions. If it cannot come up with agreements, the city will hold a voter referendum to reduce pension benefits and save the city $8.5 million. The city has until Aug. 12 to pay for the Sept. 13 vote without getting charged the full amount.
For at least a decade the city has delivered about $200,000 in grants each year. Storey said that at least since 2007 the selection was based on grant applications and committee recommendations. But in 2009, the City Commission discussed cutting the grants and then agreed they were something the city needed to find the money for.
Lederberg said her agency counts on Hollywood’s $62,000 grant to continue to run senior-citizens’ programs in the city. Her nonprofit organization receives funding from at least 23 other cities in Broward County in its “fair share effort,” so that all cities share in the cost of providing elderly programs throughout the county.
Lederberg said that last year more than 2,000 Hollywood seniors took advantage of the agency’s meal and activity programs.
“You can’t blame the residents if the city doesn’t pay the full amount,” she said. The resource center is one of several that have received grants for more than a decade. Since 1999, the aging and disability center has received about $800,000 from Hollywood.
For Women in Distress of Broward County, the loss of funding would be “very tough,” said its president, Mary Riedel.
“We are seeing more and more people in need of services,” she said. Last year, 587 Hollywood residents sought shelter through Women in Distress. The agency would lose $8,000, which in the past went toward its hotline and counselors.
Another program, which is based in Hollywood, the Gunzberger Washington Park Child Care Center, would take a hit of $5,000.
Seann Miko, its executive director, said he was grateful for all the help the city has given the organization over the years, and was sad that the city had gotten to the point where it could no longer afford it.
“Unfortunately, they have run out of easy places to cut,” said Miko.
Some resident are angry that the city would even consider cutting funding for social agencies.
“I think it’s terrible,” said longtime resident Helen Chervin. “They’re cutting from the poor.”
But residents like Charlotte Greenbarg say the city’s finances have gotten to a point where elected leaders no longer have a choice.
“They are so far in the hole that they need to get money from wherever they can,” Greenbarg said. “It’s really sad.”
Residents will have a chance to voice their opinions during the City Commission’s two budget hearings, which are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 12 and 19 at City Hall, 2600 Hollywood Blvd.
© 2011 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/05/v-print/2350685/hollywood-set-to-eliminate-social.html#ixzz1UUp7hRit
For more information about a Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County home health care agency for seniors and other family members, contact Brian Gauthier at A Family Member HomeCare (954) 986-5090 or www.afamilymemberhomecare.com. Serving Coconut Creek Cooper City Coral Springs Dania Beach Davie Deerfield Beach Fort Lauderdale Hallandale Beach, Hillsboro Beach Hollywood Lauderdale Lakes Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Lauderhill Lazy Lake Lighthouse Point Margate Miramar North Lauderdale Oakland Park Parkland Pembroke Park Pembroke Pines Plantation Pompano Beach Sea Ranch Lakes Southwest Ranches Sunrise Tamarac Weston Wilton Manors Aventura Sunny Isles Beach Hialeah Miami Lakes Boca Raton Delray Beach Home health care agencies home health care agency home health care services in home health care senior home health care home health care providers health care agency home health care jobs at home health care home health care agencies in florida home health care florida medicare home health care health care agencies home health care elderly home health agency home health care service home care agencies home health care companies home health care agency florida private home health care home health agencies elderly home health care home care agency what is home health care home health care agencies in broward county home health services home health care cost accessible home health care florida home health care home health aide agencies in home health care services home health care business home health aide home health care nursing home health care provider home health care employment in home health care jobs home health aide jobs home health aides home health care medicare in home health care agencies home health care seniors.
0 comments:
Post a Comment