Today, conversations around sequestration have intensified. With just a few days before automatic cuts go into effect, Washington shows no signs of changing the projectory of the sequester.

North Carolina, like other states across the nation, is predicted to undergo tremendous cuts. Here are a few programs at risk:

• Head Start- cuts to about 1,500 kids
• Child Care- About 1,300 kids could lose day care who live in disadvantaged environments
• Military- Furloughing about 22, 000
• Public Health- close to a $3.3 million dollars to respond appropriately to public health risks, grants to help with substance abuse and HIV test
• Nutrition Assistance for Seniors- over $1.5 million to help ensure our seniors have a nutritious meal
• Violence Against Women- Victims of domestic violence funds cut up to $205, 000- up to 800 fewer women can find a safe haven.

Others include cuts to assistance in finding jobs, vaccines for children, and all the projected cuts, if they do happen, will further stress already frail community-based  supports.

Teasing out budgetary impact data for northeastern, NC is all the more challenging. The cuts are smaller but the impact is much more substantial. Families are more dependent upon subsidies than not and face the grueling tasks of identifying where to find critical supports. It is therefore, more critical than ever for local community resource mapping to take place, a convening of NGO’s-community-based organizations, grassroots organizations, faith-based institutions, philanthropic organizations and the like.

Leveraging scarce resources in desperate times like these is a must. The goal is to assume the role of advocacy and become a seamless no wrong door for families already fragile. And when there is a “stabilizing” of the state of things, once and for all, attack poverty and help move families out of consumer roles into that of a producer. This is possible.