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Rauner Family YMCA shuts down program for lack of state funds

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Illinois

* From a letter sent to parents whose children are enrolled at the Rauner Family YMCA’s Teen REACH program…

As you may be aware, the State of Illinois remains without a budget, which means critical funding that the Y relies on has not been decided or disbursed for the fiscal year that began in July. Unfortunately, this limbo has impacted our ability to provide after school programming through Teen REACH, and it is with deep regret and sadness that I am formally notifying you that the Rauner Family YMCA has made the difficult decision to end Teen REACH due to lack of funding to adequately operate the program.

The last day of Teen REACH programming at the Rauner Family Y will be Friday, August 14, 2015. However, the teens’ memberships will remain active until the school year begins in September so they can continue to utilize all that our center has to offer to our members.

We truly appreciate your commitment and trust in the Y, which you have demonstrated by faithfully sending your child to Teen REACH each day. We are dedicated to ensuring the Y continues to be a safe place for our youth. Your teen is invited to apply for our new Pilsen Foodies program⎯a culinary arts apprenticeship funded by After School Matters⎯in the fall and spring. This program will teach youth healthy cooking skills and job readiness. Current Teen REACH participants will be given priority enrollment after they go through a required interview. Three Teen REACH participants in this summer’s session have reported they are having great experiences. Pilsen Foodies will operate three days per week, three hours per day. We will notify you once the application becomes available.

We would also like to share that, through resume development and mock interviews, we were able to assist 90 percent of our Teen REACH participants in obtaining either a summer job or internship. Thankfully, this means the majority of our teens are involved in activities for the rest of the summer.

We will notify you if additional opportunities for your youth become available during the school year. Again, it is with regret that we share this news with you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at [redacted].

Sincerely,

Maria León
Youth & Family Program Director

This was just one of three YMCA Teen REACH programs that are being shut down because of a lack of state resources. It is, however, the most newsworthy for obvious reasons.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:47 pm

Comments

This is textbook;

“Cut off your nose to spite your face”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:50 pm
Rauner clearly isn’t playing favorites or interfering with their decisions or those at Ounce of Prevention. Kudos for that.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:51 pm
Shared sacrifice?

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:52 pm
Though Rauner and Madigan are obviously interfering with their decisions and thousands of others in the bigger picture statewide.

It would clearly be best for the Gov and GA to make a deal and not have to read posts like this at all.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:55 pm
HBO - “Dad’s Home State” - Season 1, Eposide 15 - Two Part Episode “The Y”

Diana goes to Rauner YMCA to check on programs, Diana’s state employee tries to stop Diana from going. Bruce wonders how much would it cost to take Rauner name off the YMCA. Goldberg tries to apologize to legislators, can’t get through it without laughing. Comedy, 65 minutes.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:55 pm
Can’t make this stuff up.

– Rauner clearly isn’t playing favorites…–

K-12 got signed, after the governor told his GA peeps to vote against it. Eighty percent of FY16 is is in the clear.

The governor is playing favorites. Social services just doesn’t make the cut.

Comment by Wordslinger Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:57 pm
A few millionaires in Chicago need to open up their checkbooks with all the money they are saving.

Comment by Liberty Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:57 pm
It’s like I can see the future, Rich.

“What will be interesting is when the organizations like Mrs. Rauners and their peers, particularly organizations whose facilities are graced with names like Rauner, Pritzker, Crown…start to realize that the edifices to their philanthropic generosity are about to sit vacant.

Because here’s the thing: once these programs close, they aren’t reopening. Once these organizations become financially destabilized, they cannot merge.

And if I were them, i would not wait to send the lay-off notices.

Your staff reads the papers: they are already job-hunting, and as soon as they find something, they are leaving anyway.”

Comment by Juvenal Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:01 pm
“As the Bruce Rauner who’s name is on that YMCA - you see, I do have a general idea of my philanthropy - I sympathize with Pilson and thise effected. Governor Rauner is a scoundrel. His Administrstion should be run out of town. A committee should be formed to picket him. You may, if you can form such a committee, put me down for a contribution of one thousand dollars…”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:01 pm
From the Tribune, 2006.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-03-30/features/0603300003_1_first-chicago-nbd-corp-mccormick-tribune-foundation-funds

The lead gift, of $3.5 million, was from area philanthropists Diana and Bruce Rauner.

Bruce Rauner, a principal and chairman of the private investment firm GTCR Golder Rauner LLC and a member of the Chicago YMCA board, said he and his wife backed a new YMCA for Pilsen/Little Village because “it’s an up-and-coming, thriving neighborhood that needed it.”

He said the new YMCA “won’t be the last we fund.”===

“He (Rauner) said the new YMCA ‘won’t be the las we fund.’”

Nine years later, little did Mr. Rauner know, Governor Rauner would hold up funding for programs IN his building.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:12 pm
It’s becoming obvious. The cheapest place to provide these “services” is with the Illinois Department of Corrections!

Comment by Jack Stephens Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:12 pm
The name of the program “Teen Reach” at the RAUNER Family YMCA.

Talk about owning an impact to not having a budget.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:14 pm
“The Rauner Family YMCA Teen Reach program is part of the corrupt bargain pushed by Mike Madigan and the politicians he controls. Only by making the reforms proposed by Gov. Rauner can the YMCA founded by Gov. Rauner continue to provide these services.”

Comment by Tournaround Agenda Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:17 pm
“D’oh!”

Comment by Jack Stephens Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:19 pm
And if Rauner had figured out a way to keep funding to his Y (like Madigan using Jesse White’s office to get money to his local school), Oswego Willy would have still been critical - Republican that he is.

Comment by Downstate Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:21 pm
Kinda makes ya ask the question;

Was all that philanthropy just for show, and when Bruce Rauner could help those in need, even if it’s to continue programs, Governor Rauner forgot what the man Bruce a Rauner believed?

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:22 pm
=The governor is playing favorites. Social services just doesn’t make the cut.=
Higher education hasn’t made the cut either.

Comment by Because I said so... Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:23 pm
It’s a shame. REACH programs are worthwhile, especially for those kids (like I was) who have two working parents.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:26 pm
- Downstate -,

Wouldn’t be easier to get a budget and not have to choose things like that?

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:27 pm
Got to make for some fascinating dinner conversation at Casa Rauner!

Comment by Jack Stephens Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:27 pm
Stories like this and Catholic Charities laying off 40 people and shutting down two shelters are going to keep coming every day now.

The governor needs to explain why his non-budget agenda is worth people losing their jobs and social service programs being shut down.

It’s his choice to put things like gutting prevailing wage and collective bargaining ahead of the budget. He needs to explain why his choices are good for the state in real, rubber-meet-the-road terms.

If he can’t or won’t do that, then he needs to move on.

People are now losing their jobs because of his priorities. That’s real.

Comment by Wordslinger Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:28 pm
Bingo Oswego. Bingo.

Just like the businesses and their staff he controlled before being Governor, everybody and everything is disposable.

Comment by LINK Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:31 pm
http://www.ymcachicago.org/programs/teen-reach-program

Comment by Anon221 Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:32 pm
==Rauner clearly isn’t playing favorites==

Within the setting of service providers and these budget negotiations.

He could have privately donated funding to avoid service interruptions at select providers such as Ounce of Prevention, Rauner YMCA, and others to mitigate their pressure on him, but he has not. No interference from him or favors done for him.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:32 pm
How you cut spending without cutting spending: force those organizations to close up shop.

Comment by Dirty Red Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:33 pm
=No interference from him or favors done for him.=

Yeah, unless you are producing a bad TV show….that is.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 2:42 pm
“Resentment is the poison we swallow that we hope harms another.” - Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry

The Rauner Administration’s Raison d’etre

“I’m rich enough to drink my own poison and survive, but you can’t - so I win!”

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 3:07 pm
No problem!

Hey - get a senior resident in Florida to buy into an awesome investment in a health care facility in Illinois!

Then dump it!

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 3:16 pm
I must’ve missed Mr. Rauner’s response with all the loud crickets…

I don’t think this will help winning the news cycle today, that’s just me…

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 4:02 pm
There’ll be a lot of others Teen REACH programs shutting down or suspending soon.

Comment by Logic not emotion Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 4:23 pm
We have to give our multi-millionaire governor a break. Between his single minded drive to break the public unions, drive the middle class into the gutter and count his dough, is it any wonder that a piddlely little donation of $3.5 million that was probably structured for the maximum tax advantage was forgotten?

YMCA board? What is that? Is it in the schedule? You have to wonder just how many boards of directors he sits on between the corporate and the charitable agencies, it could be easy to lose one or two.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 5:16 pm
What are the rich giving up?

Comment by Macado Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 10:08 pm
TeenREACH was one of the programs in the Good Friday Massacre, back in the spring. The local Teen REACH appeared at our school board meeting to appeal for funding, but BVR did a u-turn then and restored the funds.

Why is he allowing his superstars to take actions that threaten the good name of his YMCA?

Comment by Lynn S, Tuesday, Aug 4, 15 @ 12:03 am