When people hear talk of budget cuts, some automatically think of trimming fat. No problem, right? Every agency could use a little trim here and there to show it where the waste is — especially those opulent state agencies, some would argue.
Well, beginning in March Snohomish County’s own non-profit agencies are going to start losing muscle, not fat, unless people step forward with the same vigor as they did in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks last September.
It’s really not a surprise that Snohomish County United Way’s annual fund drive didn’t reach its goal. After all, our county has been hard hit by layoffs and we are in a recession. What is surprising, though, is that people aren’t rallying to help out like they did following Sept. 11. Car washes, bake sales and extra donations at cash registers were the norm in the weeks following the attacks. And such efforts actually worked. Everyday people raised millions together to help the victims in New York and Washington, D.C.
But now, our own United Way is $900,000 short and local non-profits face a stunning 19 percent budget cut starting in March. Could any of us stand to lose 19 percent of our household budget without making adjustments that genuinely hurt? Which cuts would your family have to make? Would you get rid of a car? Cut the nutrition right out of your food allowance? Forgo coats for yourself and the kids? Quit paying your phone and energy bills (if you can afford to pay your energy bill right now)?
It gets worse. There’s a double and a triple whammy for some agencies that will see their budgets carved up even more by the Legislature — which is going through its own cuts — and the loss or reduction of matching federal and state funding. So, 19 percent might not be an accurate number for many agencies.
United Way is using some of its reserve fund to help soften the blow, but that doesn’t change the 19 percent — it was up to 25 percent at first. The agency is also extending the fund drive to March 31 to rake in those last donations, in hopes of boosting the final tally and trimming that 19 percent.
United Way is strong because our community is strong. Companies and individuals are responsible for making donations and helping fellow community members in need. Our county’s needs would be great any year, but this year they’re even greater.
If school children can give their pennies to pay for police dogs and neighbors can hold car washes to raise money for those in need on the other coast, certainly individuals can step forward with small donations that will add up quickly and meet the need.
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