Social service agencies rally in face of budget cuts

When Jason Strackany of Elgin needed to talk to someone after being involved in a domestic dispute earlier this year, he sought counseling at the Community Crisis Center.

With the center now facing a crisis of its own and in danger of closing its doors due to the budget impasse in Springfield, Strackany, along with his friend Daniel Ryan, took to the Kimball Street bridge in the rain Friday morning with signs protesting the stalemate.

"I don't want the kids that live there or go there to feel let down," said Strackany, 24, who still goes to the crisis center for help. "For them to close it down, where do I go from here after that?"

The crisis center is one of about a dozen Elgin social-service agencies and the people they support, standing to lose millions of dollars because of the deadlock in Springfield.

Ecker Mental Health Center, for example, could lose $1.7 million - 48 percent of its budget - next year, said Executive Director Karen Beyer.

Ecker and a coalition agencies has planned a rally for 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Larkin Center. Participants intend to bring awareness to the situation in Springfield and inspire a solution to keep the money coming to the agencies.

"We're hoping there will be a reversal of this," said Beyer, one of the rally's organizers.

Meanwhile, there is a silver lining at the crisis center, where donations have been pouring in all week, said Executive Director Gretchen Vapnar.

The center is needs $250,000 to stay open through August and is in the midst of seeking donations.

"All together with the response to the letter that we sent out and crisisovernight.org, we're inching toward $25,000," Vapnar said. "We're riding an incredible wave right now."