Lexington mayor’s budget proposal could devastate social services

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Mayor Linda Gorton’s budget proposal would suspend Extended Social Resource grants to social service agencies, like the Lexington Rescue Mission.

The mayor is asking the community to help organizations like the rescue mission, if they can.

The Lexington Rescue Mission serves the homeless and those in poverty by providing basic necessities including food, clothing, and shelter.

In March alone, the organization says it provided almost 5,000 meals to those in need.

“They have done a marvelous job helping me. I always say Lexington Rescue Mission is one of my main support people,” says Lora Abney, who the mission has served.

Abney says the mission helped her get back on her feet after being in jail.

It devastated her to hear the mayor’s coronavirus budget proposal will make it harder for the mission to do the same for others.

“I don’t know where I’d be at today if it wasn’t for the Lexington Rescue Mission,” says Abney.

The group knew cuts were coming.

“But it doesn’t change the fact that it’s gonna be a blow to us and our ministry,” says the rescue mission’s chief operating officer, Laura Carr.

Carr says the mission currently receives $67,000 from the grant program that it uses for two of its big programs, which will now suffer. This year, the group had applied for $100,000 grant from the city.

“We usually get $20,000 for our community meal program that serves people who are hungry and $47,000 for our re-entry program that helps ex-offenders who are getting released from jail and prison to find housing and employment,” says Carr.

She says it will be a hard adjustment but she hopes this will make people who can, want to give to the mission and especially right now when the demand is so great and its services are so desperately needed.

“The Lexington Rescue Mission is not going to be able to help the people like myself if they don’t have the grants so I hope to God they get the help because they’re an awesome program,” says Abney.

If you’d like to help the Lexington Rescue Mission out, click here.