Budget Crisis… Averted

Well, that was a close one.

If you’ve been following the news this spring, the new D.C. budget planned on cutting over $100 million in funds for social services, including over $20 million in funding for shelters in the district. The cuts posed the threat that government-funded emergency shelters serving single men and women would shut their doors except during hypothermia season.

It’s hard to imagine the void that these cuts would have left. At a time when homelessness in D.C. continues to grow, it seems unthinkable to cut services even further. Especially at a time when so many organizations serving homeless individuals are suffering. We brought you a story in last week’s Friday News Round-Up, of an organization in California that has resorted to charging a nightly fee for people seeking emergency shelter. When so many agencies – both in the D.C. metro area and around the country – have already been hit so hard, dealing them another blow would have been devastating.

Thankfully, with some last-minute budget maneuvering, the D.C. Council was able to preserve millions in crucial funding to support services for homeless men, women, and families in the city. The new budget, which was voted on May 25th, will allow all the shelters that were under attack to remain open.

While cuts in government funding could have affected Calvary, it is thanks to our stable base of donors and volunteer support from friends like you that Calvary Women’s Services was never under threat of closing our doors. We like to take the opportunity to let you know how grateful we are for your concern and support during such an uncertain time.