BILLINGS — Multiple nonprofit organizations in Yellowstone County, including the Adult Resource Alliance, YWCA, and Big Sky Senior Services, shared concerns Tuesday regarding the long-term effect of President Trump's executive order to halt federal funding for government assistance programs.
Freezing federal funding can impact schools, nonprofits, and health organizations, which is why minutes before the executive order went into effect, U.S. District Judge of Washington, D.C., Loren L. AliKhan, ruled to keep federal rewards active until Monday, Feb. 3.
Before AliKhan's ruling went into effect, MTN asked multiple Yellowstone County organizations how this decision may impact their nonprofit and community.
"Most nonprofits know that in this day and age, it's smart not to rely on one funding stream. So, our board has been working for years to make sure we have diverse courses of funding," said Big Sky Senior Services Executive Director Tyler Amundson.
Big Sky Senior Services supports elderly populations in Yellowstone County with in-home care.
Their AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program connects senior volunteers with other seniors in order to improve both parties' mental well-being. It's one of Big Sky's only programs that rely solely on government assistance.
This executive order "decreases our confidence in our ability to function in certain areas. So, for certain programs, it impacts them," Amundson said.
Although they are two separate organizations, Big Sky Senior Services works with the Adult Resource Alliance.
Both organizations assist seniors in the community, with the Adult Resource Alliance focusing on quality of life.
The Alliance hosts the Meals on Wheels program and the Senior Lunch program, which both provide seniors healthy and warm meals for $6.
Meals on Wheels could be canceled if the executive order is put back in place.
"It burdens, really across the nation, very small nonprofits that are already on an incredibly tight budget," said the Adult Resource Alliance's executive director, Erika Purington.
The Alliance has been ongoing for 50 years, and Purington told MTN that there's less of a concern for this executive order, if lasts for a short time.
The nonprofit has had time to prepare if government funding disappears, as they also have a diverse funding profile.
"The nonprofit sector provides such imperative services across the country, but we get burdened by things like this," Purington said.
YWCA provides housing and mental support to domestic abuse, stalking, and sex-trafficking victims in Yellowstone County.
According to the YWCA Chief Executive Officer Erin Lambert, about 45% of their income is government funded. Long-term, frozen federal funding could mean the nonprofit may have to cut out programs, or employee layoffs. However, Lambert tells MTN it is not yet a concern.
"If this goes long-term, I mean it potentially has devastating consequences... For me, I'm thinking through staff layoffs and what that might look like, or. closing an emergency shelter and not offering domestic survivors a safe place to go," Lambert said.
Lambert said she will be taking operations one day at a time and is willing to work with victims throughout the transition.
"Survivors, please know that we're still here for you. Still come, and hopefully we can weather this storm without any impacts. But the community deserves to know what's possible if this doesn't get resolved," she said.
