Local Organizations Affected by Sequester Cuts
As the sequester cuts start, local organizations are planning for how they'll deal with less funding. KLBK's Michaela MacDonald took a look at some local effects the sequester will have.-->
By: Michaela MacDonald
Updated: March 7, 2013
For two local organizations the sequester will soon hit close to home.
"The sequestration will reduce grants at Texas Tech by about $75,000," said Becky Wilson, Managing Director of Financial Aid at Texas Tech.
She says the programs most effected by sequester cuts will be work study and grants.
"If we were looking at work study award is about $3,000 per student annual, so we are not losing but we will not receive additional allocation in the amount of $43,000 work study," said Wilson.
"I think its going to have a ripple effect in our economy," said David Weaver, CEO of South Plains Food Bank.
Weaver says one of the ripple effects of the sequester will be more pressure on food banks.
While the South Plains Food Bank is privately funded, Weaver says cuts to government funded programs like WIC, which helps low income women and their children, will send more families to them for help.
"The impact of the sequester on programs like WIC which is going to lose 600,000 caseloads nationally that will be about 66,000 people in Texas, and some of those families will be families and women and children here in Lubbock," said Weaver.
Earlier this week, Weaver went to Washington DC to speak with congressmen about just how important federally funded food programs are to the South Plains.
"We were telling our congress people that this isn't the time to make those cuts," said Weaver, "Our resources are stretched thin and that's where those federal programs like WIC and SNAP and USDA TFAB program become so critical to us."
Weaver says they saw a 20-25% increase in families coming to them for help after the 2008 recession, and that number has not gone down. He says they still rely heavily on federally funded programs to supplement the help they give South Plains families.
"The sequestration will reduce grants at Texas Tech by about $75,000," said Becky Wilson, Managing Director of Financial Aid at Texas Tech.
She says the programs most effected by sequester cuts will be work study and grants.
"If we were looking at work study award is about $3,000 per student annual, so we are not losing but we will not receive additional allocation in the amount of $43,000 work study," said Wilson.
"I think its going to have a ripple effect in our economy," said David Weaver, CEO of South Plains Food Bank.
Weaver says one of the ripple effects of the sequester will be more pressure on food banks.
While the South Plains Food Bank is privately funded, Weaver says cuts to government funded programs like WIC, which helps low income women and their children, will send more families to them for help.
"The impact of the sequester on programs like WIC which is going to lose 600,000 caseloads nationally that will be about 66,000 people in Texas, and some of those families will be families and women and children here in Lubbock," said Weaver.
Earlier this week, Weaver went to Washington DC to speak with congressmen about just how important federally funded food programs are to the South Plains.
"We were telling our congress people that this isn't the time to make those cuts," said Weaver, "Our resources are stretched thin and that's where those federal programs like WIC and SNAP and USDA TFAB program become so critical to us."
Weaver says they saw a 20-25% increase in families coming to them for help after the 2008 recession, and that number has not gone down. He says they still rely heavily on federally funded programs to supplement the help they give South Plains families.
