State owes Elgin YWCA

The YWCA Elgin has been serving the community for 109 years. And for 109 years, we have been able to run our programs and pay our employees through thick and thin. But now, it is very, very thin. We need the state of Illinois to pay its overdue contract payments. The state owes us $216,661. That's a lot of money.

We have been using our cash reserves to meet our payroll and cover utilities for many months, but now they are depleted. Now we have to consider the hard reality of putting another 30 people out of work and into the long line of unemployed workers. It will force us to close most of our programs in a few short weeks, leaving the community and our employees with little to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Without payment of the money the state owes: The Teen REACH program will shut down, putting 45 youths per day back on the streets; the Southeast Asian Youth program, which bridges the gap between immigrant generations and serves 800 adults and children annually, will close; and 486 adult students will lose the opportunity to complete English classes, taking away their ability to assimilate into our community and help their children succeed in school.

We do not need more unemployed workers or more teens on the street; we need the YWCA Elgin programs that support our teens and provide opportunity for our new citizens to learn English and begin contributing in our community.

Please call your local legislative office and voice your concern that vital social programs will be closing if our politicians don't stop arguing and focus on solving the man-made problems.

Julia A. McClendon, CEO

YWCA Elgin

Hampshire