MEDIA ADVISORY

For immediate release: March 15, 2010

Contact: Mary Powell

(919) 824-2733

FRUSTRATED CITIZENS TO SPEAK OUT AT CHARLOTTE TOWN MEETING

Charlotte meeting 2^nd in series of meetings highlighting disability service losses in North Carolina

In this fiscal year beginning July 1, the General Assembly passed a budget that required enormous cuts to the Health and Human Services budget.  These included:

·      $60 million in state funds for community services

·      $155 million from mental health, developmental disabilities budget

·      $500 million from Medicaid services to people without jobs and other income

What: A public Town Hall Meeting at the McLeod Center, Monday night (March 15^th) to discuss the impact that millions of dollars of state budget cuts have had on the lives of people living with disabilities and the people who work to assist them.

When: 6:30-8:30pm, Monday, March 15, 2010 (doors open at 6pm)

Where: The McLeod Center, 515 Clanton Road, Charlotte, NC

Who: This meeting is being sponsored by The Coalition, a group of 40 statewide organizations advocating together to meet the needs of North Carolinians living with developmental disabilities and the diseases of addiction, & mental illness.  Mental Health, Developmental Disability, Substance Abuse service providers and consumers, anyone affected by the budget cuts or concerned about future cuts to MHDDSA services will attend.

Why: The Coalition is providing an opportunity for people to speak out.  The services that have been eliminated help recipients go to school, stay employed and live healthy lives.  In addition, many small businesses that have been providing services have been forced to lay off employees.  All of these events come at a terrible time for communities already hurt by the downturn in the national economy.

“All too often the voices of those with addictive disease, developmental disabilities and mental illness are forgotten in the budget debate, said Jennifer Mahan, Chair of The Coalition. “This is an opportunity for people across North Carolina to tell their stories about how services have made their lives livable and how the budget cuts are hurting them.”

For a complete list of town hall meetings, visit: www.ncsapa.org/townhalls-2

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