Sees 'difficult year'

Instead, it was the result of the service not having received funding initially in the New York State budget. As of June 1, the HIV program had laid off its staff and closed the program for lack of funding, but lobbying efforts resulted in the program's restoration. The program is now recruiting staff and hopes to be operational by January.

Sister Maureen told The Evangelist that she fears that funding struggle will not be the last for Catholic Charities, given the state's budgetary woes.

"We believe there will be a very, very difficult fiscal year," she predicted. "There's a systemic budget deficit. We feel that there will be some cutbacks" in funding for Charities' services.

Unfortunately, she said, the threat of war in Iraq has made some people forget the needs at home.

"That shifts the economy to `war mode' rather than human service to people in our country," she said. "The external forces are against us, economically and emotionally. You don't hear much about society's concern for the poor." (KB)

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