Funding Cuts to Essential Program Services

Federal Budget Proposes Cuts to

Essential Program Services

President Obama has released his Fiscal Year 2012 budget that substantially reduces Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding. This funding is crucial in providing essential community based resources provided by Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska (Mid) to a 27 county area service area in south central and south west Nebraska.

Community Services Block Grant funding is used to support innovative and needed community programs. Reduction in funding will leave rural families and senior citizens isolated and unable to access many need resources. The Community Services Block Grant helps support several programs including:

• Food Rescue
• Financial Literacy
• Health Services
• Small Business Development
• Free Tax Preparation
• Senior Centers
• Homeless Prevention Assistance

In a rural area, Community Action may be the only source of help for working families and those struggling through uncertain economic times. This loss of funding will leave our area and its residents without a vital resource.

Last year, Mid provided services to 22,193 unduplicated individuals in 9,088 households. For every CSBG dollar, our agency leveraged $6.17 from state, local, and private sources, including the value of volunteer hours. Karen K. Lueck, Chief Executive Officer for Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska states “A reduction in Community Service Block Grant funding would devastate our ability to provide economic security and stability for rural Nebraskans. We fully support responsible fiscal stewardship but these projected cuts will put already vulnerable populations at an even greater risk.”