"I have spent over 20 years as a non-profit executive who specializes in treating people with real problems like substance abuse. I have seen first-hand how vital these services are to the people in our communities," said Hunter. "If we choose to cut agency funding across the board, we will only be hurting the people we serve. You will see increased strain on the Department of Corrections because of the increase of recidivism by ex-offenders and people with substance abuse problems because they were unable to get the help they needed to improve their lives."

For the last eight years, Illinois has consistently cut spending for human services; however, there has been no reduction in the number of individuals with developmental disabilities, homebound seniors or people with mental health concerns. In addition, the majority of human services provided to individuals in Illinois, nearly 75 percent are not directly provided by the state. They are actually distributed by the private sector, mostly non-profit businesses that have already made massive job cuts this year. In fact, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys.com, the $4.4 billions in human service spending cuts over the last eight years could have caused Illinois to lose 62,000 private sector jobs.

"During this recession people are suffering, losing jobs, depressed, and losing their homes. Now more than ever, people are relying on non-profits for support," said Hunter. "These are real people we are talking about, not just a number to look at on paper. We must find a new source of revenue before it’s too late."