While donations have been steadily coming in to the Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry, Organization Director Joan Haugh said other programs offered by the organization are suffering from a lack of funding. Haugh told the county council this week that they are incurring further reductions in funding from both the state and federal government, primarily affecting their transportation program.
Haugh told the council that the organization currently serves 21 percent of the county’s population through its various services: 951 families per month visit the food pantry, 823 people utilize transportation monthly, 745 families signed up for energy assistance, and many more make use of other services offered by Community Services. She presented to the council a comparison of the organization’s 2013 budget to last year’s, and noted that she had to reduce her staffing in 2012 and ’13.
Haugh told the council that the organization is suffering from a $38,000 shortfall, and could possible lose another $42,000 as well if federal and state funding continues to decrease. Fortunately, she assured the council that the organization can operate as-is until later this year, giving the council time to decide how to address this financial crisis.
The council told Haugh that they will review their options and make a decision before their meeting in May.
