Published: Sunday, June 20, 2010
Deaconess Children’s Services cuts aid for Snohomish County's low-income families
Deaconess reduces services for low-income children and families as donations dwindle in a sour economy.
EVERETT — A decline in donations has Deaconess Children’s Services nearly halving the number of low-income children and families it serves this year.
The nonprofit, which works to reduce child abuse and neglect, provided services to 3,774 children and adults last year.
This year, about 1,700 fewer kids and parents will be served, said Chanelle Carlin, Deaconess’ vice president of programs. That adds up to a 44 percent cut.
New people seeking help will be put on a waiting list. No one currently getting services will be dropped.
“Over the last couple of years we’ve had so much more demand for services we’ve had to institute a waiting list,” Carlin said. “Unfortunately, people will have to wait longer.”
The organization’s roots in Snohomish County date back more than a century; Deaconess began as an orphanage in 1898.
Over the years, its mission changed. It now provides a variety of services to families, including support for teen parents, programs to prevent child abuse and neglect, and outreach to Hispanic families.
Deaconess’ family support center in Darrington provides the only social service programs in that city, said Felicia Freeman, Deaconess’ president.
Darrington has been hit hard by the recession, she said, in part from layoffs at the city’s timber mill.
Meanwhile, the very factors prompting more people to ask for help — the struggling economy — is also leading to a decline in donations, Freeman said.
“The economy is really impacting us,” she said. “It’s like every nonprofit I’ve ever talked to is facing the same thing.”
As one example, business donations, which typically hit $20,000 each year, dropped to $300 this year, she said.
“We live on the generosity of others, but they can only give it if they have it,” she said.
In addition, Deaconess was one of the nonprofits whose grant from United Way of Snohomish County was cut from the $177,760 it received this year to a little over $58,000 in grants that go out July 1, she said.
The organization’s coffers are about $140,000 short of what was budgeted as anticipated revenue this year, she said. “Now we have to re-look at every expense and every service.”
Freeman said she doesn’t blame United Way for the cut in financial support. It had $6 million in program requests and $2.9 million to allocate, she said. Some area organizations, she noted, didn’t get funded at all.
Deaconess’ budget this year is $964,000, down from $1.5 million four years ago, Freeman said. It has 13 full-time staffers and 18 part-time employees. About 25 people volunteer to help provide services.
To help boost Deaconess’ revenues, Freeman said she has applied for 46 grants this year. A dinner fundraiser is planned for Aug. 8 in Marysville.
National studies show that kids who don’t get services such as those provided by Deaconess are not ready for school, fall behind by the third grade, drop out of high school, experience more teen pregnancies and are more likely to be incarcerated as adults, she noted.
“This is all very tough,” she said. “We are all really concerned.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486, salyer@heraldnet.com.
Fundraising dinner
Deaconess Children’s Services is planning a fundraising dinner starting at 5:15 p.m. on Aug. 8 at the Marysville Masonic Lodge, 419 Columbia Ave. For more information on the event or to make a donation, call 425-259-0146.
Deaconess services
Here are some of the services that Deaconess provides:
Parent education on children’s medical needs and on preventing neglect. A 16-week program includes in-home visits to eliminate potential household dangers. Parents participate in parenting classes and get a book on basic health care for children.
Classes for teen parents, with advice on balancing parenting and school.
Tips for parents of children with behavioral problems, designed to prevent child abuse or neglect. Includes help on building a parent-child bond.
Family support and resource center in Darrington, providing a variety of services, including youth and family programs and information on resources for food and other basic needs.
Support for Hispanic families, including classes on English as a second language, tips from physicians about well-child care, and outreach to help people avoid feeling isolated.
The nonprofit, which works to reduce child abuse and neglect, provided services to 3,774 children and adults last year.
This year, about 1,700 fewer kids and parents will be served, said Chanelle Carlin, Deaconess’ vice president of programs. That adds up to a 44 percent cut.
New people seeking help will be put on a waiting list. No one currently getting services will be dropped.
“Over the last couple of years we’ve had so much more demand for services we’ve had to institute a waiting list,” Carlin said. “Unfortunately, people will have to wait longer.”
The organization’s roots in Snohomish County date back more than a century; Deaconess began as an orphanage in 1898.
Over the years, its mission changed. It now provides a variety of services to families, including support for teen parents, programs to prevent child abuse and neglect, and outreach to Hispanic families.
Deaconess’ family support center in Darrington provides the only social service programs in that city, said Felicia Freeman, Deaconess’ president.
Darrington has been hit hard by the recession, she said, in part from layoffs at the city’s timber mill.
Meanwhile, the very factors prompting more people to ask for help — the struggling economy — is also leading to a decline in donations, Freeman said.
“The economy is really impacting us,” she said. “It’s like every nonprofit I’ve ever talked to is facing the same thing.”
As one example, business donations, which typically hit $20,000 each year, dropped to $300 this year, she said.
“We live on the generosity of others, but they can only give it if they have it,” she said.
In addition, Deaconess was one of the nonprofits whose grant from United Way of Snohomish County was cut from the $177,760 it received this year to a little over $58,000 in grants that go out July 1, she said.
The organization’s coffers are about $140,000 short of what was budgeted as anticipated revenue this year, she said. “Now we have to re-look at every expense and every service.”
Freeman said she doesn’t blame United Way for the cut in financial support. It had $6 million in program requests and $2.9 million to allocate, she said. Some area organizations, she noted, didn’t get funded at all.
Deaconess’ budget this year is $964,000, down from $1.5 million four years ago, Freeman said. It has 13 full-time staffers and 18 part-time employees. About 25 people volunteer to help provide services.
To help boost Deaconess’ revenues, Freeman said she has applied for 46 grants this year. A dinner fundraiser is planned for Aug. 8 in Marysville.
National studies show that kids who don’t get services such as those provided by Deaconess are not ready for school, fall behind by the third grade, drop out of high school, experience more teen pregnancies and are more likely to be incarcerated as adults, she noted.
“This is all very tough,” she said. “We are all really concerned.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486, salyer@heraldnet.com.
Fundraising dinner
Deaconess Children’s Services is planning a fundraising dinner starting at 5:15 p.m. on Aug. 8 at the Marysville Masonic Lodge, 419 Columbia Ave. For more information on the event or to make a donation, call 425-259-0146.
Deaconess services
Here are some of the services that Deaconess provides:
Classes for teen parents, with advice on balancing parenting and school.
Tips for parents of children with behavioral problems, designed to prevent child abuse or neglect. Includes help on building a parent-child bond.
Family support and resource center in Darrington, providing a variety of services, including youth and family programs and information on resources for food and other basic needs.
Support for Hispanic families, including classes on English as a second language, tips from physicians about well-child care, and outreach to help people avoid feeling isolated.
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