Sending out an S.O.S.: Hundreds rally in Sterling to save human services
|
|
| Joanie Sims of Rochelle speaks about the services she receives from a state-funded agency. Sims and the Whiteside County Healthier Communities Partnership gathered Thursday at the YWCA to urge lawmakers to keep funding for human services. (Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@svnmail.com) |
| Buy Sauk Valley Media Photos » |
STERLING – People lined up along First Avenue Thursday, waving signs at cars to send out an “S.O.S.”
»Video: Check out clips from the Save Our Services rally at the YWCA.
About 250 people then crammed into the YWCA’s auditorium for a “Save Our Services” rally organized by the Whiteside County Healthier Communities Partnership to encourage state lawmakers to reconsider cuts in human services.
»Video: See footage from Tuesday's protest in Rock Falls, IL.
To help close a $12 billion budget deficit, the Legislature has proposed to cut money that helps pay for programs that help victims of domestic violence, people with disabilities, child care and health care for the poor, people working to earn a GED, and people with drug addictions, among others.
Speakers from local human service agencies, including Sinnissippi Centers, Self Help Enterprises, Kreider Services, YWCA of the Sauk Valley, Northern Illinois Center for Independent Living and the Whiteside County Health Department, addressed the crowd.
“If the proposed cuts in services go through, we’ll be paying the same taxes we were before, but our area will be losing millions of dollars that help local people,” said Carol Fitzgerald, the YWCA’s executive director. “We all would get less for our money.”
The YWCA could lose $500,000 of its $1.2 million budget. Sinnissippi might lose more than $2 million of its revenue. Kreider Services could lose $4 million. NICIL could lose $121,000, which is half of its budget.
“We all know our state budget is in trouble, and we all believe it. But is cutting human services in half, or in some cases 75 to 80 percent, a good solution?” Fitzgerald said.
“No!” the crowd responded.
“Do we want human services cuts on the backs of the struggling poor?” Fitzgerald asked the crowd.
“No!” the crowd shouted back.
Lyn Stoeker, a 38-year-old single mom from Rock Falls, said she has received help from the health department while she completed a bachelor’s degree, but still is looking for work.
“Without these services, we could possibly be homeless,” Stoeker said.
Joanie Sims, 60, of Rochelle, receives help from NICIL to live on her own.
Confined to a wheelchair for more than 8 years, she was able to move out of a nursing home and into her own home with NICIL’s help. The agency brought her furniture, food and basic appliances.
“If NICIL gets cut, what am I to do?” Sims said. “I’ll lose the freedom that I have. I won’t be able to eat when I want to or what I want to. I won’t be able to go to the fairs. I hope and pray the budget cuts don’t happen.”
Jaccilyn Beard, 40, takes part in Sinnissippi’s independent adult residential program, which helped her control her emotions and anger issues. Sinnissippi helped her recover and go on to earn an associate degree in medical coding and transcription and she plans to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health care services.
“My life was black and white and hopeless,” Beard said. “Sinnissippi gave me back the color in my life, and hope. To cut this or any other service is a detriment.”
Beard said cutting human services funding will worsen alcoholism and drug abuse problems.
“All this ends up costing the health care system more money, raising costs in health care are causing this rippling effect,” Beard said. “Cutting our programs will make this worse.”
Those at the rally called on legislators to rethink the budget cuts.
“The Legislature needs to look for the best ways to fix it with minimal damage to the people of Illinois ... and ways that will help sustain and help communities move forward,” Fitzgerald said. “The way they’re going to do it now will make everything worse; the recession will get worse. I think they should look at every option and decide what are the best options for the people of Illinois.”
Arlan McClain is the executive director of Kreider Services.
“[Lawmakers] have not been controlling spending,” McClain said. “They’re not working on any kind of logical basis. ... They should look at a tax increase, look if there are programs not being effective. They’re giving new money to programs this year while cutting us.”
