As the recipient of many state and federal anti-poverty grants, the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council is accustomed to adapting to changes instituted on Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill. Recently, both state and federal officials have taken action to reduce funding for subsidized child care, heating assistance, and weatherization programs.
However, it remains to be seen if all of these cuts will be implemented and permanent. Whatever happens, the agency will adjust and continue in our mission to help families achieve self-sufficiency. We don’t yet know the full impact, but when we do, we will pass it along to you. This is happening because of ongoing policy and fiscal debates in Boston and Washington, D.C. about the levels of government funding, and is not a reflection upon the quality of services provided by the GLCAC.
You may have recently heard some misinformation about the GLCAC and we’d like to pass along some important facts:
- A decision by our new accounting firm to change the line item under which we reported grants for a weatherization program lead to the false appearance of a reduction in private donations between FY10 and FY11. Simply put, there was no reduction; it was just reported in a different place.
In reality, the donations – from gas companies for a weatherization program – increased from $1.25 million in FY10 to $1.8 million in FY11.
- Backing out the weatherization donations, the amount of private donations to GLCAC actually increased between FY10 and FY11, from $219,000 to $232,000.
- The reduction in the number of volunteers to the GLCAC could be the result of any number of reasons and there is no evidence it is the result of the changes in management and fiscal reforms. Furthermore, the GLCAC does not rely on volunteers to deliver services and therefore, reports volunteer participation by estimation not hourly tracking.
- Our very active volunteers include our Board of Directors. We have a more engaged and energized volunteer board of directors this year than we have for many years. These members participate both in board meetings and multiple committee meetings, as well as by individual effort. Comparing attendance at one board meeting to the next fails to give an accurate picture of their involvement.