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Minneapolis adult disability program faces closing
by Art Hughes, Minnesota Public Radio
November 19, 2003

County funding cuts mean an end to the regular Saturday bowling league organized by Southside Services. (MPR Photo/Art Hughes)

After more than 30 years helping developmentally disabled adults, a south Minneapolis agency is on Hennepin County's budget chopping block. The county's spending plan for next year cuts all money for the non-profit. Southside provides services ranging from jobs counseling to camping trips.

Minneapolis, Minn. — For 32 years Southside Services staff have helped developmentally disabled clients shop for food, find jobs, learn to read and get substance abuse treatment. All of the nearly 400 clients are poor. Many function at a high enough level that they don't qualify for most government services.

But they're not adept at many basic life skills like balancing checkbooks, filling prescriptions or deflecting telemarketers. The agency also organizes recreational and social events that keep many clients from becoming isolated.

When I first found out about them closing I started crying. And I think it was four days later I finally quit crying. - Roberta Ward, Southside Services client

More than 50 people with developmental disabilities show up for bowling every week. They divide into teams, talk trash and high-five each other. Southside Recreation Supervisor Don Magnuson weaves through the crowd chatting with the bowlers. He said there's an important social element to such activities whether it's fishing or country western dancing. The events also give him and others a chance to gauge the clients' well-being.

"I'm able to monitor large numbers of people, see how they're doing," Magnuson said. "(I) ask how their job's going, ask how their relationships are going, ask them if they're having any problems with anything. People can approach me with any issues they're having in their life."

As part of cutting $41-million from the 2004 Human Services budget, Hennepin County officials plan to zero out Southside's entire budget of $268,000. Roberta Ward, a long-time Southside client, said she took the news hard.

"Let's put it this way," Ward said. "When I first found out about them closing I started crying. And I think it was four days later I finally quit crying."

Ward said the events give her and others something to look forward to.

"Going to that bowling alley every Saturday morning makes me feel like I'm doing something important," she said.

Southside has five staff members whose offices are a maze in a converted stucco apartment building on Cedar Avenue. County Disabilities Services Manager Thomas JoliCoeur made the decision to cut the program. He said Southside and the other programs that were cut are valuable and do a good job. But he said other programs either provide more immediate services, like emergency housing, or they leverage state money.

	Waiting for the score

"After the (state) mandates and after using dollars to draw greater amounts of state dollars, it just came down to the fact that we didn't have enough to support some of these programs," he said.

Southside Director Carla Lehtinen said it's been 20 years since funding problems threatened to close the doors. She said the situation seems worse this time.

"It's a pretty overwhelming task on a daily basis and you throw in a 100% budget cut..." Lehtinen said. "You know I guess this is pretty close to an all time low."

Some county board members support a proposed resolution to restore Southside's funding, but it's not clear if there are enough votes. If they do restore it, some other part of the county budget will have to make up the difference.

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