Representatives of Greenbelt CARES, Greenbelt Assistance in Living (GAIL), Meals on Wheels of College Park and the Greenbelt Cinema met with the Greenbelt City Council for a budget worksession on Monday, April 20 to provide an update of their status and efforts, as well as the major challenges they currently are facing.
CARES Update
For CARES, Director Elizabeth Park, with Assistant Director and Resource Advocate for GAIL Christal Batey, began the meeting. The discussion mainly focused on the potential ending of many programs due to the loss of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding on July 1.
GAIL Community Nursing
Of primary concern was the discontinuation of GAIL’s community nursing program, which often provides service in homes. The community health coordinator position, which is funded by ARPA, is essential to the program.
Many of the city’s seniors have come to rely upon this program for preventative treatment and monitoring, and to remain in Greenbelt. Batey said that this year alone saw over 550 visits. No fee is required from Greenbelt residents.
Residents of Green Ridge House will continue to receive this service as it is a HUD Section 8 senior building funded by grants from the Maryland Department of Aging.
Batey informed council that the community nursing program is in its 20th year. Nursing interns from several local nursing schools such as Catholic University, Bowie State University and Washington Adventist University act as the staff. They are unpaid, the program existing as part of their schooling.
ARPA-funded Positions, Programs
In addition, the situation could lead to the loss of key positions that are also currently funded by ARPA. These are the full-time bilingual community health case worker and the part-time community case manager. These positions are especially beneficial to residents in Greenbelt West.
Franklin Park receives many assistance programs from CARES funded by ARPA in addition to community nursing, such as case management, food distributions and health and resource fairs. In a subsequent interview, Park reported that “we are still assessing what programs can continue if staff is lost.”
The programs at Springhill Lake Recreation Center will continue, as these are funded separately. These include GED classes, tutoring, ESOL classes and workforce development.
Potential Approaches
The representatives proposed two approaches that may lead at least to partial funding for some of these at-risk programs. The first would see CARES and GAIL apply for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, allowing greater financial autonomy and the ability to apply for more grants. The other is to have the clinical mental health staff become specifically credentialed to allow them to bill Medicaid and Medicare for individual and family counseling services.
The potential cuts in these integral services were of grave concern to all present. Mayor Emmett Jordan noted that what CARES and GAIL provide is unique for municipalities. Councilmember Jenni Pompi remarked that they have been transformative, as well as life-saving.
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels of College Park presented next, represented by Chair Lisa Ealley and Secretary Maria Newsom. The organization is in its 52nd year and has run continuously, even through the pandemic. It serves 40 to 50 households in Greenbelt, mostly at Green Ridge House.
The agency operates with over 100 volunteers, 30 of whom are in Greenbelt. Volunteers must cover their own fuel costs. Newsom extolled the exemplary efforts of these volunteers who have gladly weathered the current challenges. Many of them have rendered personal assistance outside of their delivery runs.
The agency is also facing financial struggles due to the loss of ARPA funding on which they have relied heavily. For those who would like to donate, do so at mealsonwheelsofcollegepark.org or by mail to P.O. Box 797, College Park, MD 20740.
Greenbelt Cinema
Greenbelt Cinema’s Executive Director Caitlin McGrath ended the meeting with an update on Greenbelt Cinema. The Cinema is facing financial hurdles as it strives to rebuild itself from the pandemic and adapt to now-prevalent in-home streaming of films. Since 2020, the Cinema has seen a large drop-off in all of its financial elements, with expenses outpacing profits.
Streaming has resulted in shorter film release windows (now around 45 days, from 90 to 120 days pre-pandemic). There has also been a drop in the number of films released in theaters, with many going straight to streaming platforms.
The Cinema is confronted by consumers taking advantage of lower streaming costs (compared to theaters) and the ease of staying home to view movies.
McGrath reported on the many ways that the Cinema has adapted to the present environment through community engagement. One is to have one-off events (there were 182 last year) where films are paired with input from experts that connected with the films shown. The Cinema has many series that inspire those avid for certain genres to enjoy. It has also had a robust relationship with youth and local schools, such as the partnership with Silver Oaks Cooperative School, where students produce and screen their own Public Service Announcements (PSAs), and the effort to bring 16-millimeter films to classrooms, paid for by the Miller Fund.
The past year has seen a steady increase in membership, social media usage and its number of patrons, now 26,000; however, this is down from 40,000 pre-pandemic.
McGrath noted that the Cinema is very understaffed, hoping if possible to double its staffing numbers, allowing more sustainability and overlap in skills. All present remarked that the Cinema is an essential anchor for Roosevelt Center and that it provides much stimulating entertainment and community engagement. In the city budget, $75,000 has been earmarked for the Cinema, though that still leaves it facing a $40,000 deficit.
City Manager Josué Salmerón and council all agreed that the upcoming budget will be very tight, requiring many tough decisions in the effort to sustain many services that residents have come to depend on.
Concerning the city’s health, Councilmember Amy Knesel stated that it is time to develop a more community-driven approach, where all residents can play a role in the well-being of their neighbors, remarking that the city is “a society together, surviving together.”