Elgin Crisis Center still threatened

In May, the Community Crisis Center in Elgin had its own emergency: a loss of state funding, combined with a sharp dip in private contributions, threatened to close its doors.

Today, the center has fewer staff members, less funding and more clients than ever.

But its doors are still open and its leaders are constantly looking for more creative ways to raise funds, said Gretchen Vapnar, the center's executive director.

"We're better off (now), but we still have a very uncertain future," she said. "The negative is we don't know what each revenue stream is going to look like this year."

Vapnar said the center helped 6,849 people in the last fiscal year, which ended June 30. That was a 9 percent increase over 6,275 people the previous year.

Last fiscal year, a combination of state funding cuts and dips in other contributions resulted in a deficit of at least $200,000.

An online fundraiser at crisisovernight.org helped raise $161,000, although $40,000 came anonymously from a foundation.

This year, state funding is already $200,000 less with no relief in sight.

Vapnar said the center reduced its staff from 75 to 62 people and is relying more and more on interns and volunteers. Employees took pay cuts and two weeks worth of furlough over the summer. The center has run the gamut on fundraising - doing everything from book and bake sales to selling refreshments at farmers markets and indoor football games.

"We haven't given up on anything. We're still looking at ways," Vapnar said, adding she is fearful the center might be in the same crunch later this year when Springfield lawmakers resume budget talks. "We've done just about everything we can to balance the budget. But we still need the state to help."

For details, call (847) 742-4088 or visit crisiscenter.org.

Keith Farnham, a Democrat elected last fall as the state representative for the 43rd district, which includes Elgin, said he shares the same concerns as Vapnar.

Farnham, who serves on the legislature's human services committee, said he is working to learn what lawmakers can do in addition to providing more funding.

For example, one way to help the Ecker Center for Mental Health, which also has been hit by budget cuts, would be to allow officials at the Elgin facility greater flexibility to move funds around in their budgets, Farnham said. The director of the Ecker Center could not be reached for comment.

Farnham said the bigger challenge is for the state to become more flexible and efficient so it can free up more money for social service agencies.

"We all know they're under tremendous stress. I think the agencies are doing a very, very good job. There isn't any more place for them to cut," Farnham said. "We really need to look at how government is operating because I don't think government is operating very efficiently."