Officials concerned volunteer programs could lose funding

Local volunteer programs face the possibility of losing their funding based off the proposed budget for fiscal year 2019 President Trump sent to Congress on Monday.

The budget proposal calls for the elimination of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCNS), a federal agency that provides the funding for both the Curry and Roosevelt counties’ foster grandparent programs (FGP) and retired senior volunteer programs (RSVP) as well as Roosevelt County’s senior companion program.

The proposed elimination has left local program directors wondering if they will have the money to provide their services when the continuing resolution that funds CNCNS ends on March 23.

“We’re not real sure what will happen,” said Jose Madrid, executive director of the Community Services Center, a non-profit corporation that provides various services to Roosevelt county residents. “We will gather more information as the days come and we’re hoping it won’t be as severe as it sounds.”

CNCNS previously faced elimination in a preliminary budget proposal for fiscal year 2018 before the funding was restored, according to Curry County Program Director Suzanne Zamora.

“It’s just a wait-and-see process and we’ve been through this before,” Zamora said. “We’re not in a panic mode, we’re staying the course and just waiting to hear what happens.”

In 2017 Curry county received about $90,000 combined in funding for FGP and RSVP and the programs currently boast over 100 volunteers, Zamora said.

Madrid said Roosevelt county’s programs receive “quite a bit” of funding from CNCNS and the county has about 50 participants in its volunteer programs.

The Curry and Roosevelt FGP provide one-on-one mentoring with local needy students and the RSVP provide volunteers for various services around the counties, according to Zamora and Nancy Harper, director of the Roosevelt county programs.

Harper said Roosevelt county’s senior companion programs provides assistance to local elderly people who need help with household chores and similar tasks.