GOSHEN - REACP, an antipoverty agency with a 45 year history in Middletown, held a press conference today (Feb. 23) to alert the public to proposed drastic cuts in Community Services Block Grant funding for a wide variety of anti-poverty programs.
John Pagan, president of RECAP’s board, urged supporters to contact their representatives in congress as well as President Obama to express their support of restoring the funding for these key federal grants.
The cuts, which would reduce federal funding by half, could go into effect as early as March 4, little more than a week away, said Charles Darden, Executive Director of RECAP. The cuts are included in both House Republican continuing resolution and President Obama’s proposed budget.
Since the government would run out of money as of March 4, a continuing resolution must be past by then to fund or the government would shut down.
RECAP and many of the other nonprofits that would be affected by the cuts voiced their support for restoring the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding to last year’s level. Among the programs that face possible elimination are: the food pantry, help for homeless, affordable house, welfare to work programs, and matching funds critical to other nonprofits.
Several clients and former clients of RECAP described how these services had helped turn their life around. “RECAP is very important,” said Stepfon McCray, who came to the agency three years ago when he was homeless with no resources. He said they helped him find a place to live and provided food when he didn’t have money to buy any. “I remember when I had a job interview to go to and I couldn’t get there. I had no transportation. And they would take me there personally.”
