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Utah's nine Community Action Programs stand to lose almost half a million dollars over the next three months under a temporary budget approved by the U.S. Congress - a devastating blow to the anti-poverty movement, say advocates for the poor.

The 50 percent cut in the Community Services Block Grants (CSBG) that fund the programs nationally is temporary; lawmakers could restore the money when they approve the final budget, possibly in December or January. Or they might not.

In Utah, the losses that take effect Saturday are already forcing layoffs, a scale back in food pantry operating hours and the suspension of meal deliveries to thousands of families in crisis.

Cathy Hoskins, director of the state's largest Community Action Program, located in Salt Lake City, said advocates in Washington are fighting to restore some of the money, but negotiations have been complicated by emergency requests for aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The U.S. Senate proposes keeping the CSBG funding level, but the grants were zeroed out in President Bush's spending plan and cut in half under the House budget, she said. "The future remains foggy for us."

Hoskins stands to lose $250,000, which translates to 6,000 orders of three-day food supplies to 4,500 households. To avoid closing any of her six food pantries in Salt Lake and Tooele counties, she is scaling back operating hours.

She has laid off six workers and reduced by a fourth the number of hours that advocates can devote to helping families navigate Medicaid, welfare and other social service programs.

Community Action Programs along the Wasatch Front are taking similar steps.

Myla Dutton, director of the program serving half of Utah Valley's poor, is considering closing smaller food pantries in Utah, Wasatch and Summit counties.

"This will force families to drive further, which isn't easy with today's gas prices," said Dutton.

Rural Utah's programs, run as part of county government rather than as nonprofit organizations, may be hardest hit.

"A cut like this decimates the social services system in these places, because there's nothing else to pick up the slack," said Bill Crim, director of United Way and the state Community Action Program association. "If you close the food bank in Price or Castledale or Kane County, there's nowhere else for people to go."

Crim said the squeeze couldn't have happened at a worse time: "Every one of these agencies sees more demand for services as it gets colder and Christmas approaches."

Limits on CSBG grants also hurt Utah charities. Salt Lake Community Action doles out $140,000 annually to groups such as the Road Home homeless shelter, Catholic Community Services, Utah Issues and Utahns Against Hunger.

"It hurts," said Road Home director Matt Minkevitch, whose agency could lose $37,000. "That's the equivalent of about two front-line staff or 3,478 shelter nights."

What are Community Action Programs?

Utah's nine Community Action Programs are devoted to helping low-income families become self-sufficient, with services tailored to each region. Most operate food banks and pantries to provide emergency supplies of food to homes. Some also pay to weatherize homes for winter and help people cover utility and rent, avoid evictions and find jobs.