I'm sure everyone is aware of the economic downturn by now, and it's effects on social service programs. We here at Teen Link have been lucky - our umbrella organization has seen its share of budget cuts as both private donors and government donors have reduced their spending on social service programs, but a number of other donors have stepped up to fill that void and as such our operating budget has barely felt the economic crisis at all. Unfortunately, as this article from the New York Times points out, not all programs are as lucky and many are forced to choose between services or clients, or shut down completely.
For many teens in Western Washington, Teen Link has provided a much needed space for them to vent, seek help, get resources, or just talk to someone they know will listen and care. With our continued funding and support, we've going to be able to keep doing that for a long time (knock on wood). But many such agencies aren't as lucky, and a lot of people both in the US and around the world are having to face this tough time alone without such support networks.
Maybe this post is a little too serious or adult or boring or something, but it's something that I've been thinking about a lot lately and we did promise you a glimpse into the inner workings of our organization - and nothing says non-profit like lack of funding!
That's good to know TeenLink hasn't been highly affected by the recent economic downturn. It's definitely true that many non-profit organizations unfortunately have been.
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