Slowik: How federal budget cuts would impact the poor and elderly in Chicago’s south suburbs
Diners included
"We're here just about every day,"
"You can't beat the food, and the price is right," his brother said.
Thursday's menu included baked chicken breast, wild rice and broccoli. Donations of
"You can't go anywhere else and get as nice a meal as you can here," said
I visited
It's unlikely
The township would continue offering low-cost lunches for seniors even if federal funding is eliminated, Supervisor
"We'll keep it even if we don't get funding, but it does help to get that money," she said.
Community meals cost less to provide than home-delivered services like
"It's a community," Sloop told me. She shared lunch Thursday with fellow
Pundits' initial analysis of the president's budget proposal Thursday focused on increased spending for defense and Homeland Security and significant cuts in funding for education, environmental protection, the arts and programs that help the poor and elderly.
Some analysts said the president's proposal, "America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again," was merely an agenda message that outlines policy priorities. It will likely be significantly revised by the time a more detailed budget is proposed in May, and
When I heard about the proposed elimination of funding for
In the time I had Thursday to work on the story, I was unable to come up with a comprehensive view of how cuts might impact the Southland. I can, however, share a few snapshots of how funding cuts would affect some areas.
Elimination of the Community Development
"The federal government has spent over
Seeking specifics, I found expenditure reports on the HUD website showing the CDBG program provided
Expenditures in
These disbursements are minuscule allocations when considered as part of a
Many service providers are concerned about the proposed budget cuts, as well as the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Agencies that serve the elderly, poor and others worry the federal government might drastically reduce the amount of funding it provides through
"(Agencies) are making choices about what they can fund because they have fewer dollars," said
The center operates facilities in
The agency's work includes assisting families who adopt children from overseas and providing behavioral health counseling to adults and children. I asked
"There's research that connects a lot of chronic illnesses to mental health," she told me. People with anxiety and depression, for example, are more likely to develop serious health problems like heart disease and diabetes, which are more expensive to treat.
Agencies serving the south suburbs are particularly anxious about potential cuts in federal funding in light of the crisis over state funding for social services. The "safety net" that helps poor and elderly residents make ends meet already has many holes in it. With agencies reducing staffs and trimming services, some worry the safety net is in danger of collapsing.
Some in the Southland would feel the impact of the proposed 13 percent cut in education funding, including elimination of nearly
It's hard to say how many south suburban residents would be directly impacted by the proposed 29 percent cut in
I think Trump's budget, if approved as proposed, would most directly impact poor and elderly people in the south suburbs.
I'm unconvinced the drastic cuts in programs that serve the most vulnerable are worth the proposed
The budget signals a shift in government policy toward greater safety and security. But if paying for those measures reduces the means to assist millions of needy Americans with food, housing, health care and other essentials, is it worth it?
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