Local senior centers are cutting back on services due to an ongoing state budget impasse that has now entered its seventh month.

The failure of Illinois to adopt a budget is having drastic consequences at senior sites across the entire state, and the senior sites operated locally by the Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Council are no exception.

“These seniors served us, and now we are letting them down,” said Paulette Hamlin, WEEOC Executive Director. “The political battle is being fought on the backs of seniors and those who care for them. Illinois must pass a budget rather than putting one together piece by piece.”

Western Egyptian was forced to close its senior sites in Chester, Columbia, Red Bud and Waterloo for three weeks this past August due to the impasse. Since that time, legislation was passed to allow federal funds used to operate these programs to be issued by the state.

The problem now is that senior sites have not received any state funds since June, Hamlin said. State funds account for 40 percent of the grant revenue to fund senior services. Without a state budget, it can no longer be business as usual.

Hamlin said that AgeSmart Community Resources — the primary agency serving seniors in the seven counties (Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, St. Clair, Randolph and Washington) has been cut off from its normal resources and there are no funds available to continue providing services as usual.

AgeSmart provides the pass-through funding to Western Egyptian, Hamlin explained. AgeSmart has notified Western Egyptian that effective Jan. 31, it will no longer provide funding for transportation services to seniors. They are also limiting home-delivered meals to four days per week.

Effective Feb. 1, Western Egyptian senior sites in Columbia, Red Bud and Waterloo will be open Monday through Thursday, but will be closed on Fridays.

Transportation services will no longer be provided effective Feb. 1.

Anyone wishing to contribute toward senior services so further cuts can be prevented may send donations to your local senior center:

Columbia Senior Site: 208 S. Rapp, Columbia, IL 62236 (281-7414)

Red Bud Senior Site: 1445 W. Market, Red Bud, IL 62278 (282-6333)

Waterloo Senior Center: 207 W. Fourth, Waterloo, IL 62298 (939-8880)

All donations received will be targeted to the particular site requested by the donor, and 94 percent of all funds received at Western Egyptian pay for direct client assistance. Administrative costs are held to a low of 6 percent.