Story posted Wednesday, December 16, 2009
What Happens If Funding Doesn't Come?
North Shore Senior Center Waits On State
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
The North Shore Senior Center (NSSC) is facing a funding crisis as it still awaits $830,000 from the State of Illinois since the start of the fiscal year last July. By the end of the calendar year that figure is expected to top $1 million.
The center serves about 22,000 seniors in the Northern suburbs. In the Journal-area it has an office in Northfield and staff working in Maine and Niles townships, Park Ridge, Des Plaines and Glenview senior centers and Glenview Village Hall.
The NSSC has a $2 million contract with the State of Illinois to provide assistance to seniors representing just under one third of its $6.6 million budget. The center has about $550,000 in monthly expenses.
The state has paid off all of what it owed NSSC for the last fiscal year but has only made "nominal" payments on this year's contract, according to NSSC Executive Director and Board President Jordan Luhr. NSSC's board will consider taking out a line of credit to keep from cutting services or closing its doors at a meeting next week. Luhr said NSSC has enough reserves to last until next February or March at most.
Besides the state contract, another third of NSSC's funding comes from fundraising, the final third comes from fees for some specific services and from service agreements with municipalities and township governments.
In Glenview, Kim Hand is an employee of NSSC working out of village hall.
Luhr said in spite of decreasing revenues coming into local government's coffers, those contributors continue to make payments on time unlike the state.
"When you look at the local governments and their priorities, they make that commitment to seniors," said Luhr.
The center might be able to continue for a short while on a line of credit but only for so long before it would have to consider cutting services or closing down completely.
"We do this work because we're committed to them (seniors) but once that's (money) gone we have to look at reducing service," said Luhr.
The funding crisis comes as demand for services are on the rise, said Luhr. Elder abuse cases and requests to help seniors stay in their homes have only increased since the economy went sour.
In the Northwest and Western suburbs, the Kenneth Young Center (KYC) that assists youth, seniors and provides mental health services in Elk Grove and Schaumberg townships is facing a similar budget crisis.
KYC has already taken out a line of credit at 5% to sustain operations. Though KYC did recently receive a $500,000 payment from the state, it is still owed about $1 million.
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