Language Page 482, after line 18, insert:"Out of the amounts for Financial Assistance for Cultural and Artistic Affairs, $50,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to Ecumenical Community Helping Others (ECHO)."
Explanation(This amendment provides $50,000 from the general fund in the second year to assist Ecumenical Community Helping Others, or "ECHO," expand its existing community service facility by approximately 4,000 square feet. ECHO is an organization designed to provide assistance to people who do not qualify for participation in traditional federal, state, or local "safety net" programs. The organization's 400 volunteers distribute food, household items, clothing, and school supplies to needy families; provide them with counseling and referral services; and supply emergency financial assistance for items such as these families' prescriptions, housing, and utilities. The total cost for expanding ECHO's facility is $800,000, 70 percent of which has been raised within the communities of Burke and Springfield.)