The final week of this year’s Delaware General Assembly session began with some good news for nonprofit agencies, volunteer fire departments, rescue squads and the people who rely upon their services.
The Joint Finance Committee voted Tuesday morning to restore cuts of 20-percent across the board that were made one year ago in the Grant in Aid budget.
“Unfortunately a lot of the cuts translated to reduced services,” Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement President and Chief Executive Director Sheila Bravo said. “That also translated into some reduced work hours and lost jobs in the sector. One of the things we hope will happen is that we will see some of those jobs come back.”
For Easter Seals of Delaware, President and CEO Ken Sklenar said the restoration of Grant in Aid funding means it will be able to accommodate more children for therapy sessions, assist more adults in wheelchairs and provide other services that were not fully funded.
“The more we can get in terms of full funding, the better,” Sklenar said.
The JFC will meet again Saturday to determine if more dollars can be directed toward nonprofits. Grant in Aid, the Bond Bill and the operating budget make up the Fiscal Year 2019 spending package that takes effect Sunday, July 1st.