Social services hit hard during economic downturn

We know our state's finances are in disarray. We just don't always realize how widespread and deep that disarray can inflict pain.

Bette Schoenholtz said she and her staff at Senior Services Associates, Inc. "were in shock" while monitoring the state's funding for what they consider "a significant and serious program" offered by the agency.

Schoenholtz, the executive director of the agency that serves Kane, Kendall and McHenry counties, was talking about the Elder Abuse program. And the amount of money coming from the state's Department of Aging for the past six months was easy to calculate - it was zero.

But hold the phone. Schoenholtz did say that a payment, the first in six months, did come in the past week.

Still, Schoenholtz and others like her in the social service world are finding it hard to get any assistance from our state, which has a budget in disarray to go along with cleaning up the monkey business of its recently impeached governor.

"Six months is a long time to not even get a nickel," Schoenholtz said of the Elder Abuse program, which has seen its number of investigations rise during the down economy.

Schoenholtz reasons the stage is set for tensions that could lead to physical or financial abuse because adult children who have lost their jobs are moving their families into the elderly parents' home.

Caring for a frail elderly person in addition to dealing with your own financial problems or job security can ignite problems, and it is a key reason the agency needs funding from the state and other grants.

Schoenholtz said the Elder Abuse program was also supposed to help those considered "self-neglect" clients, or those have been "abusing themselves" by refusing services, and not taking care of themselves or their homes.

"These are very complicated cases, and there has been no money at all to help them," Schoenholtz said.

Information about the programs of Senior Services Associates, Inc. is available by calling (847) 741-0404 or (630) 553-5777.

This glass slipper fits: Young ladies throughout the Chicago Public School system should look quite nice at their high school proms in a couple of months - thanks to The Glass Slipper Project.

The project collects gently-worn formal dresses, bridesmaid dresses and prom dresses, shoes, evening bags, jewelry and unused makeup.

The AMLI at St. Charles apartments on the city's east side is accepting donations on behalf of project.

"With assistance from the Chicago Public Schools and other organizations, we give young women the opportunity to select a prom dress, free of charge, and attend their proms feeling confident and stylish," said Christie Hurley of AMLI.

In the past, the program has provided more than 7,000 students with free prom attire.

Dresses and accessories in excellent condition can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday until March 15 at the AMLI at St. Charles clubhouse. AMLI is located at the corner of Kirk Road and Main Street (Route 64).

Learn about Wile E.: We know coyotes roam Kane County like they own the place, but we were nevertheless quite stunned to see four - yes, four - of them in our Geneva backyard early one morning just before we were about to unleash the fury of our 2-year-old poodle on them.

Luckily for coyotes, they took off.

All kidding aside, our poodle would have been a quick breakfast for this particular pack, and we're getting a little concerned about how bold coyotes are getting in our neighborhood and others.

So it might be wise for us to attend the Kane County Audubon meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Geneva's Sunset Community Center in which Chris Anchor, a wildlife biologist in Cook County, will talk about his study of area coyotes.

It helps food programs: The economic stimulus plan should equate to providing food for hungry families, so Sarah Slavenas of the Northern Illinois Food Bank is singing the praises of the new legislation.

Slavenas issued a news release informing us that the recovery bill will boost various emergency food programs, including a 13.6 percent increase in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for low-income families.

Those at the food bank believe the timing of this funding is perfect because of the rise in unemployment and the growing number of families unable to include food costs in their budgets.

dheun@sbcglobal.net