ATHOL — The North Quabbin Community Coalition’s executive director is asking for the public’s help to ensure the private nonprofit doesn’t lose its core funding after it was vetoed by Gov. Charlie Baker.
Heather Bialecki-Canning said the coalition gets money through the Department of Public Health, and Baker has slashed language, within line item 4590-0250, pertaining to model coalitions. Bialecki-Canning said there is still hope for funding, but the state Senate and state House of Representatives must vote to override the veto. She has asked community members to contact state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, D-Jamaica Plain, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, to encourage that an override vote be held as soon as possible.
Sanchez can be reached at his office at 617-722-2990, via email at Jeffrey.Sanchez@MAHouse.gov or by fax at 617-722-2990. Bialecki-Canning said it is important to reference line item 4590-0250 when contacting Sanchez.
“If there’s not enough attention paid to it, it’s very possible that we’ll never get heard,” Bialecki-Canning said.
She explained the funding typically consists of $100,000 split between her organization and the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition. She said her each of her organization’s three staff positions are partially financed by its share of this money. She said elimination of any position would mean the coalition’s workforce is cut by one-third.
A call to Baker’s office requesting comment was not returned before press time.
Bialecki-Canning said the Legislature votes on overrides in chunks and time is of the essence for NQCC.
“The override votes could go all the way up until November, and that’s just unconscionable for us because we run on such a shoestring budget to begin with,” she said. “Even, at best, if the override comes through, we still don’t see our contract until after the first of the year.”
Two local state representatives, Susannah Whipps, I-Athol, and Paul Mark D-Peru, have pledged their support to the override efforts. Whipps said this funding was an amendment to the FY18 Budget for the Massachusetts Community Coalitions she co-sponsored with state Rep. Gailanne Cariddi, D-North Adams, who died in office at 63 in June.
“Heather Bialecki-Canning and her team coordinate with and participate in task forces and agencies which focus on the well-being of the North Quabbin region,” Whipps said. “This small amount of funding is vital so the good work of the coalition can continue.”
Mark said state money allows the North Quabbin and Northern Berkshire community coalitions to offer a wide array of services.
“With the loss of Gail Cariddi, her friends and neighboring colleagues have agreed to fight to restore her budget priorities, and I know how important Gail thought this programming was,” he told The Greenfield Recorder.
Bialecki-Canning said an override will mean “business as usual” for the coalitions.
“We have, thank goodness, generous support from donors,” she said.
NQCC is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax-deductible. Information on how to donate is available at bit.ly/2fGLXy9. NQCC’s fiscal agent is Heywood Healthcare. NQCC can be reached at 978-249-3703.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 258. On Twitter: @DomenicPoli