We believe that we live in a community where there are many anonymous heroes, where there is much “anonymous goodness” to counteract pain, need and hopelessness.
The other day, a woman stood in front of our reception desk, a baby balanced on her hip. Fighting back tears, she asked
, “Where can I go? What do I do?”
For one of the first times in my history as a social worker and organizational executive, I did not know how to respond. As our community faces the consequences of a statewide budget crisis, we will see more parents like this — parents with children, without a place to live, without food on the table, without a way to see a doctor.
Gov. Chris Gregoire, facing a Herculean task of balancing a budget with no new revenue, declared, “It’s up to the nonprofits, it’s up to the faith community, it’s up to us. It’s up to our families and our friends and our neighbors to help out those we know, and those we don’t know or never met.”
The Human Services Executives of Snohomish County represent leadership in nonprofit organizations serving this community. We are already doing all we can. We are doing more with less. We see the face of need every day.
Excruciating reductions in the last budget, compounded by further drastic cuts and the elimination of vital programs being considered by the governor and Legislature, threatens the very fabric of our community. We see the consequences of our choices and the face of need is a young mother, a frightened refugee, a frail senior and a hard-working young man with disabilities. The nonprofit community has stepped up and we are balancing precariously on a fragile ladder of increasing needs. We need others to step up.
But we believe in our community. We believe in a community where there are many anonymous heroes. We believe that this community will respond with goodness and generosity. We are waiting for you. What can you do?
•Educate yourself on the true impact of budget cuts and contact your legislator to advocate for vulnerable children, seniors and families.
Donate generously to an organization in your community. The list of organizations in our membership is below.
Volunteer at a local nonprofit organization or call 425-374-5534 to find opportunities to serve.
We can wait. But the senior, the parent, the child in need may not be able to wait much longer.
Janet St. Clair is president of Human Services Executives of Snohomish County, which represents:
ARC of Snohomish County
Catholic Community Services NW
Community Health Center
Evergreen Manor
Girl Scouts of Western Washington
Institute for Family Development
Little Red Schoolhouse
Lutheran Community Services NW
Senior Services of Snohomish County
Snohomish County Alliance for the Mentally Ill
Washington Vocational Services
Cocoon House
Community Resources Foundation
Village Community Services
Work Opportunities
Sherwood Community Services
Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County
United Way of Snohomish County
YMCA of Snohomish County
Housing Consortium of Everett & Snohomish County
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