We often think of Delaware as a small state of neighbors; a series of communities where everyone is connected by just a couple degrees of separation. That closeness binds many of us together, and it’s what makes the First State unique.
When someone is in need, our local communities band together to help and make sure their needs are met. It’s just who we are.
I see this at a local level as the CEO of Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, interacting with volunteers and the hundreds of Sussex Countians we serve.
I also see challenges ahead, and they require all of us to step up and come together to help those most in need. As a board member of the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, I hear the concerns from nonprofits about the uncertainty of funding at the federal government level. Organizations that dedicate themselves to clothing, housing, feeding and caring for our neighbors are unsure if funding will disappear or if support will discontinue.
Despite these challenges, there is also opportunity, but it again requires all of us to step up in a united front.
In the coming days, the Delaware General Assembly will make decisions about how to use grant-in-aid, which provides funding to nonprofits throughout Delaware. The state has been a strong partner over the years, and we need our representatives now more than ever to oversee an increase in nonprofit funding.
Without the state’s continued support, partnered with concerns at the federal level, nonprofits could face difficult decisions about their operations.
And without nonprofits, far greater assistance will be required for our neighbors and communities.
If your life has been enriched by nonprofits such as senior centers, treatment facilities, fire departments, mental health counseling, shelters, public libraries and the arts, I urge you to contact your local state legislators and ask them to increase funding to Delaware nonprofits.
They need to hear all of us encourage them to strengthen their investment in our local nonprofits.
It is our duty to make our voices heard.
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