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The Object Of Community Life

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The Object Of Community Life

 

The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only legitimate object of good government.

 ––Thomas Jefferson

There is no time like budget time to foster impassioned opinions about what government should or should not do. Ideally in a democratic society, we should do collectively through our governments those things to care for human life and happiness that we cannot do individually. In a culture like ours, where rugged individualism and self-reliance is encouraged and revered, the list of collective responsibilities should be relatively short. But governments in economic distress sometimes turn their backs on even these fundamental responsibilities. That, apparently, is what was happening in Hartford this week.

This week, the governor and legislative leaders debated the fate of State Administered General Assistance, or SAGA, which provides medical assistance to about 28,300 people around the state –– the poorest of the poor. Originally, the governor wanted to eliminate the $134 million program, but has since modified his position to insist that the state rein in the costs of the program. Included in the squeeze on resources for SAGA are cutbacks to the drug treatment and mental health components of the program. We hope it does not come to this, but it just may. If we cannot collectively care for people in our society who are abjectly poor and mentally ill, what of our other so-called achievements are even worth mentioning?

Fortunately, not everything we do collectively as a society is through our governments. We do not always have to rely on politicians to fulfill the moral compacts we may make for our communities and ourselves. Right here in Newtown there are two nonprofit agencies working day after day to help people face the incredible dual challenges of poverty and mental illness. The Family Counseling Center and Newtown Youth Services, through a robust combination of volunteer effort and professional service, take on some of the region’s toughest cases, providing counseling, psychotherapy, and emotional support without regard for their clients’ ability to pay. Their services are often offered for free. They receive some support from the Town of Newtown, but they are largely supported by a patchwork of grants, individual donations, and in-kind services. Both are United Way agencies. In the current economy, their caseloads are growing and their resources are being stretched to the limit. The Family Counseling Center, which celebrates 20 years of service this year, has a waiting list.

Rather than focus on our collective failures emerging in Hartford, there is something we can do as individuals in our own hometown: support the Family Counseling Center and Newtown Youth Services with donations, volunteer service, and whatever other support we can muster to ensure that the well-being of some of our neediest and most vulnerable citizens remains a priority and legitimate object of community life. Find out how you can contribute by calling the Family Counseling Center at 426-8103 and Newtown Youth Services at 270-4335.

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