Since its inception in 1994, CommunicAID has been dedicated to serving the

Washington, D.C. community. From overnight shelters to literacy programs, the services

CommunicAID offers aim to help the homeless and needy escape poverty. CommunicAIDs

success heavily relies on government funding and grants. While the economic crisis in

Washington, D.C. has not abated, CommunicAID believes that no further cuts should be made to

social services. The following position paper will discuss how budgets cuts will negatively

impact CommunicAIDs Mercer Street Center, staffing/hours of operation, fundraising and

higher education and the implication the cuts will have for the Washington, D.C. community.

Mercer Street Center

Through grants from the Washington, D.C. Housing Authority and City Council,

CommunicAID was able to renovate an abandoned elementary school into one of its most

successful locations to date. Over the past year, the Mercer Street Center served over 27,000

members of the community. Without the legislatures support, CommunicAID would not have

been able to take on such an endeavor.

CommunicAID plans to expand its services to other areas of Washington, D.C., which

Mayor Muriel Bowser has said she will support. If budget cuts to social services are made,

CommunicAID will not be able to help the more than 8, 000 homeless in the area. This will lead

to an even higher rate of homelessness and citizens living below the poverty line.
Staffing

CommunicAID and its affiliates have already been impacted by budgets cuts made earlier

this year. Across its five affiliate organizations, more than a quarter of the staff has been cut.

This has put more pressure on the remaining staff to do more work. Without a full staff at each

affiliate, CommunicAID cannot run its programs as effectively as promised.

Further budget cuts may result in reduced hours or levels of operation at each affiliate

location. This makes it more difficult for the needy and homeless around Washington, D.C. to

receive the support they need. CommunicAID offers overnight shelters that must be staffed 24/7.

Budget cuts would make it impossible to implement this program at other CommunicAID

locations. The implications here are two-fold. CommunicAID prides itself in its ability to create

jobs during this economic crisis. Without funding, the organization will have to cut jobs and put

more members of the community at risk of living below the poverty line. Homeless members of

the community will also suffer as they will not have the tools they need to help them escape

poverty.

Fundraising

The budget cuts have affected

CommunicAIDs ability to increase

fundraising activities in the private sector

that would reduce the effect of the cuts.

Almost 40 percent of CommunicAIDs

revenue is from generous donors.

CommunicAID will be unable to host fundraising events that lead to major donations to help

support the needy and homeless if these cuts are made.

CommunicAID prides itself on the long-term relationships it has cultivated with the

community. These fundraising activities generate more attention to CommunicAIDs cause and

raise more money for the homeless. Without fundraising and support from the Washington, D.C.

government, CommunicAID will be unable to function, which may result in the closure of

affiliate programs and locations.

Higher Education

CommunicAID is not the only organization impacted by these budgets cuts. The budget

for higher education is in danger of also being cut. CommunicAID firmly believes in the benefits

of higher education but for the homeless and needy to get there, social services are needed first.

In its first year, the Mercer Street Literacy program helped 75 percent of students who

received tutoring in math and reading pass to the next grade. This compares to the 50 percent of

students who did not receive tutoring. CommunicAID wants to empower and enable students to

reach their goal of higher education. The literacy program makes this happen.

CommunicAID needs the help of the members of the Washington, D.C. community to

stop these budget cuts. As an organization, CommunicAIDs purpose is to provide support for

the community in any way it can. Further budget cuts will jeopardize CommunicAIDs affiliates,

fundraising abilities and overall ability to operate. Without CommunicAID, the number of

homeless and needy in Washington, D.C. will increase exponentially. The unemployment rate in

Washington, D.C. will also increase. Contact Mayor Bowser at eom@dc.gov and tell her to vote

NO on further cuts to the social services budget so CommunicAID can continue to serve you.