By Greg Halbleib
BLOOMINGTON – A local human service agency is cutting three long-time programs because of the lack of a state budget.
Providing Access to Help, or PATH, is ending its Outreach for the Elderly programs in McLean, Livingston and DeWitt counties as well as its Caregiver Support and in-home counseling services for homebound senior citizens. PATH executive director Karen Zangerle began the Outreach for the Elderly program in 1985 and says she didn’t foresee the service ever ending.
“We always felt confident that we were providing vital services,” Zangerle told WJBC’s Terry James, “and as long as we continued to provide those services to the best of our ability those dollars would be coming in and those programs would be safe.”
Zangerle says PATH’s 24/7 call center and homeless services are still operating, as are adult protective services but those could be the next to go.
“If the comptroller truly does stick by the promise of writing no checks, there are going to be even more closure of programs,” Zangerle said. “Our adult protective services will be at risk of closing. There’s a program where we’re literally saving lives.”
Six staff members are being laid off with the cuts. Zangerle says PATH has struggled to keep all services operating for the past year but federal funds have ended because the state has not provided a financial match.
Greg Halbleib can be reached at greg@wjbc.com.
