Cuts to the Salvation Army could leave some Madison area families out in the cold. Ruth Ann Schoer with the Salvation Army of Dane County said they may be unable to offer shelter on an overflow basis, due to a $50,000 cut in funding from the county. “Because it’s not a mandated expense, that was done to balance the county budget,” Schoer explained, adding that the only way to reinstate the program is for the county to put the money back in the budget or for a private donor to step forward.
The Salvation Army’s Emergency Family Overflow Shelter consists of consists of mattresses on the floor. “What I always say is that people have to truly be homeless in order to be willing to sleep on the floor,” said Schoer. The Salvation Army also faces cuts of some $300,000 from various other sources — but that it’s the loss of the county funding which will mean the overflow shelter will be unavailable.
