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Pocono News Section
Budget Cuts from Human Services
Budget Cuts from Human Services - Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 2:43PM EST
Reported by: Kyla Campbell
Saturday, Oct 10, 2009 @ 02:43pm EDT
101 days after deadline, Pennsylvania has a state budget. While many are happy to hear the news, others who count on state funding aren't going to get what they need.
Catholic Social Services help people in need in 11 counties, but they're going to have to help more people with less money. The budget passed Friday night includes a 17% decrease in funding for county-run social services.
Monsignor Joseph Kelly is the director for the Scranton Diocese Catholic Social Services. He says 27% of his budget comes from the state, and the group had to take out a loan.
"The state owes us $1.7 million dollars in social services we've already performed," said Msgr. Kelly, who's even more concerned about the future. "I realize these are difficult times, but I also realize the people who are going to suffer the most are the working poor."
He says two soup kitchens -- St. Francis of Assisi in Scranton and St. Vincent de Paul in Wilkes-Barre -- have seen about a 20% increase in people coming in for hot meals.
"This place has been helpful to a lot of people, but if they don't get the funding then that's not going to help us," Lloyd Wilkerson told us Monday. He says he counts on St. Vincent de Paul's soup kitchen almost every day.
But when the delay in funding was at its worst, Msgr. Kelly says it brought out the best in others.
"We are receiving from parishes, both Catholic and non-Catholic, from synagogues, from community organizations," said Msgr. Kelly. "We're receiving food, we're receiving contributions in order that we might be able to alleviate some of the suffering."
He hopes that generosity continues to grow as state funding dwindles. | | |
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