Pass the Bones Please!!

To say today has been weird would be an understatement. I knew the day was gong to be challenging because I was going to meet with one of our primary funders. We used to have four primaries but that was the old days—when there was plenty of money to go round. In the last two years one funder had dropped completely off the scene( hopefully at some point that provider will return but is somewhat doubtful) and the other funder has kept a minimal amount of money trickling in about $7,000.00 which is better then a poke in the eye…kinda.

I don’t even have board meetings any longer –our program is so low on our funders sights that they usually don’t come—one has even said to stop sending them notifications and just minutes of the meetings. So, instead of the board meetings which I used to have quarterly. I now invite each funder in individually, have them take a seat and try to visit with them about their organization and ho Access Utah Network can assist them meet their goals and particularly how and what we, as an organization, can do to have their organization uses us more. So that is what we were doing today—and truth be told a little of hat we were going to ‘hit’ this director with was ‘hey we need a little boost in our economy too. We could use a bit of a funding bump. But when the director got to the meeting he looked pale and ashen—not, a good sign. It seems that yesterday he had gotten a directive from the State Government indicating that his agency was going to be cut another 24%. We have heard rumors that further cuts were coming but we were figuring 3-5% at the most, which we felt would be devastating but 24% we are talking staff, stuff and brick and mortar. This guy had had 24 hours, one day to digest this information And I could tell he had and now was having to take the next step and begin cutting out living tissue in a effort to save over all system but now he is having to cut or try to cut bone because the fat is long gone, and so is most of the muscle an the bone is all that is left. I thought the director was going to breakdown and cry right there and then. Mental Health Association in Utah and my director just looked at each other realizing that was going to come from this event except doing some damage control. So we just let him talk and just listen—sometimes just listening is all one can do and hope what ever is said is not too painful.

So there it is—if this guy has to take the 24% cut, I am sure I am going to get it right between the eyes, both barrels, sayonara, time to start packing the office and get ready to turn out the lights. Ofcourse, no one has really, really discussed the issue yet—the elephant just got to the middle of the room we’re still in the phase of trying not to see it—I mean this afternoon we had an epic staff meeting and the most difficult thing we discussed was how we were going to cover Christmas and Thanksgiving staffing. So the rollercoaster has just left the starting gate again and we have just started the downward ride…all systems stand by…