SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Looming federal funding cuts are causing one local nonprofit to raise an early warning for its employees.
“Our community, as I mentioned, relies on a lot of the programs and services that we provide here,” Gus Hernandez with the San Diego LGBT Community Center said. “The center last year provided over 90,000 service visits to our community.”
The San Diego LGBT Community Center has been around for decades, helping those in that community and others with whatever they need.
“They're a lifeline for our community members who come to the center to receive LGBTQ affirming care,” Hernandez said. “We're talking about getting HIV testing, prep navigation, linking to counselors who are therapists through our behavioral health services program, as well as housing and security folks.”
He told ABC 10news some of the financial security is currently an unknown for the Center.
“It’s not easy to know that the federal funding cuts are being threatened for the Center,” Hernandez said. “It’s really too bad that the federal government is targeting the LGBTQ community as well as other nonprofit organizations as they look to reduce funding.”
In the event that happens, Hernandez told ABC 10News the Center sent WARN Act letters - which are required by the state and say employers have to give employees 60 days’ notice before a mass layoff or relocation - earlier this month to its 106 employees.
Hernandez said that federal funding accounts for about 25 to 30 percent of the Center’s budget and that no layoffs are currently planned.
“Thankfully, there have been no federal funding cuts as of today. So, you know, we are taking all the precautions necessary to prepare for when that happens,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez also said in a statement via email that, “Rather than doing pre-emptive layoffs, The Center sent out WARN Act letters to all our employees earlier this month, following an all-staff meeting where we explained why we were sending these letters. Our aim in doing all of this is full transparency with our staff.”
He said those potential cuts could result in layoffs, which could come as early as early September, and is unsure who would be let go.
“The purpose of these letters is to protect our staff by giving them as much advanced notice of potential layoffs as possible. Out of an abundance of caution and in the spirit of transparency, The Center included staff that may not be on contracts, but whose positions support contract staff,” Hernandez told ABC 10News in an email. He added that the Center wants to be proactive during this situation, “If other funding come through from state and local government streams, foundations, and private donors, or if there is enough pressure to stop federal contracts from being cut, The Center will be able to maintain our services and the staff needed to provide these services.”
