April, 2003
Like most people I know, I've had to look for encouragement lately just to keep my head above water. It's difficult to keep myself on track with all the negative news out there, our nation is at war, the state and federal economies are facing major deficits, and it seems like everyone is holding their breath, not quite knowing what to do. To many people, it's beginning to feel like the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off. Those of you out there, who are like me, take your encouragement wherever you can get it these days, a kind word from a friend, a Dilbert cartoon, even the occasional fortune cookie. I'm hoping that this column can serve that purpose for any of you that may be wondering what if anything positive is happening in our community.
The Charitable Council of Monterey County (CCMC) and the Harden Foundation recently convened a core group of representatives from a broad spectrum of organizations, including non-profits, private businesses, local foundations, public agencies and legislators with the goal of forming sustainable community partnerships that will create a unified response to the proposed state budget cuts to safety net services in Monterey County. What are safety net services? ...Think Maslow's Pyramid...go from your most basic needs, like food and shelter, and work your way up. Food Banks, Homeless Shelters, Advocacy Organizations and others all provide safety net services. People with and without disabilities are facing a budget situation that has never been seen before and this group has come together to strategize about what new solutions they can come up with to address it.
A big part of having the ability to come up with new solutions, is having the ability to think about problems in a different way, having a "new way of doing business" so to speak, which brings me to the second goal of this group. A response to the current budget cuts is only one piece of this puzzle. The CCMC and Harden would like this group to eventually become an organized association that could advocate for funding, legislation or other changes that would benefit our residents. Various models will be examined, but some examples include the Human Care Alliance in Santa Cruz, or the Silicon Valley Coalition of Nonprofits in Santa Clara.
It is not the first time that an idea like this had been tried in this County, but it is the first time in recent memory that we are facing the financial consequences of a war, and a slumping economy, coupled with drastic cuts to services. In order for this to work, organizations are going to have to reach out to each other for support. They will have to identify gaps in services or funding that they face and inform their fellow service providers that their consumers may end up on their doorstep. Instead of competing with others, we are all going to have to learn to collaborate.
There will always be naysayers when it comes to the kind of systems change that we are attempting. Individuals, who for whatever reason, would rather stand guard over their sandbox rather than invite others to play inside it. There is little that can be said to them, but perhaps they would benefit from the wisdom imparted in my most recent fortune cookie. " Those who think it cannot be done, should not interfere with those who are actually doing it."
For more information about the Core Group or to get involved, contact me at (831) 757-2968 or ddallimore@cccil.org