Elgin shelter braces for more budget cuts

The Elgin Community Crisis Center's second annual "Frock Swap" was a success, but officials at the domestic violence shelter are still trying to determine what effect Gov. Quinn's latest budget cuts will have on their organization, which is still owed more than $300,000 from the state from the past fiscal year.

Gretchen Vapnar, the center's executive director, said officials hope to learn more early this week about the effects of the governor's $1.4 billion in budget cuts announced Aug. 4.

The Crisis Center serves nearly 7,000 people a year, many of them women and children who are victims of domestic abuse.

Clients primarily come from northern Kane County and northwest suburban Cook County, but the center accepts anyone throughout the state who is fleeing domestic violence and can't go home.

Vapnar said the center's second annual "Frock Swap," where women can trade in their old clothes to earn points to trade for other women's donated clothes, raised $2,000, and its new location at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin worked well. In 2009, it was held at Elgin Academy.

"It was a success and we hope it will grow every year to be better and better," she said.

The state did pay the center the $48,000 it was owed for January, but the state "owes us from (this past) July so we didn't gain anything," Vapnar said.

The next fundraiser for the center is the Helping Hands 5k run/walk that starts at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 28. For details, call (847) 742-4088.

The crisis center, which marked its 35th anniversary this summer, has reduced its staff from 72 to 62 people and cut salaries. Staff members also will have to take four weeks of unpaid time off the coming year.