A Path Forward
The Federal administration abruptly froze funding this January, demonstrating incompetence due to a concerning lack of policy coordination and foresight. The sudden halt of federal grants, implemented without clear guidance or timeline for resolution, left countless programs and institutions scrambling to maintain essential services. This chaotic approach to governance particularly impacted vulnerable populations who depend on consistent federal support, revealing how administrative disorganization at the highest levels can cascade into real consequences for communities.
In Indiana, this plan played right into the ultra-right wing of the Republican Party to hurt the poor and the sick. As their Governor reduced advertising for Medicaid, Indiana providers faced delayed reimbursements and an uncertain future. The long list of Medicaid providers in Monroe County includes radiologists, psychiatrists, hospitals, oncologists, dentists, pharmacies, and many more. This attack on these popular programs for the poor forces providers to consider reducing or eliminating services precisely when many families need them most.
Federal administration cuts further erode the safety net, which many of us hold dear. Local nonprofit leaders, already operating on tight budgets, found themselves unable to confidently plan programming.
The Federal administration's actions target children in schools. Have you talked to a teacher in the past two weeks? In light of MCCSC releasing a powerful statement, teachers and principles are terrified for their students. Teachers now wonder about classroom safety and potential cuts to essential programs like reduced lunch services and after-school care; they should be allowed to focus on teaching. Competent policies crafted and implemented by careful practitioners could have avoided this meandering highway of confusion.
Fortunately, there is a path forward: love. I Corinthians 13 is clear that when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. What abides is "faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love". This path forward is not partisan.
We all possess the power to create stability even in the face of incompetency and uncertainty. Show your love to the people helped by organizations like the Beacon Light the Way campaign and New Hope for Families. Continue providing crucial support services through community donations and volunteer efforts. The United Way of South Central Indiana agencies offer reliable assistance to vulnerable populations, demonstrating how collective local action can help fill gaps left by federal and state instability. Through sustained financial support to one or more of these organizations, active community engagement, and spiritual reflection on our obligation to love our neighbor, we all can help ensure that essential services remain available to those in need.
For those whose actions reside outside our control, let us continue our focus to reach our neighbors in love, celebrating the humanity inherent in all people. As Bishop Elizabeth Eaton wrote in January, “Let us be steadfast in our prayers for those in authority and tireless to seek justice for all.”
To do justice, I recommend, making a financial contribution to the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU is already geared up to protect the democracy we hold so dear.
