The Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association ( OPALGA ) closed the doors of its center at 947 Garfield on Oct. 1 to cut overhead costs. The 20-year-old not-for-profit LGBT support group removed two of its four employees and the remaining half expect to be let go when a grant expires near the end of the year.
Mike Cochran, co-chair of OPALGA's board of directors, said the group is re-evaluating itself in attempt to be more financially sound.
"We're trying to manage the organization in a fiscally prudent manner in light of this horrible economy," Cochran said. "Every not-for-profit I know is having a cash crunch and our organization is no different."
Cochran said the goal is to increase membership and appeal to the changing demographic within Oak Park's LGBT community.
"We want to be aware of the increasing number of gay and lesbian individuals moving into this area," he said. "In the LGBT community itself, you're seeing a lot of changes. Now you're seeing a lot of families. We want to have family-type events and programs."
Meanwhile, OPALGA's office is being run strictly through its Web site and the home of the director of youth programming, Susan Abbott.
The organization is also renting out space in downtown Oak Park in order to continue holding four of its drop-in programs. Cochran said paying by the usage has cost them considerably less money.
"When you looked at the hours [ the Garfield building was ] in use, there weren't as many hours as some of us would've liked," he said. "Considering the amount of floor space, we did not have a need for that kind of expense on an ongoing basis."
The programs still meeting are: Spectrum, the weekly 18-and-older discussion group; ALAS ( Amigos Latinos Apoyando Siempre ) , the Latino men's support group, which currently meets three times per month; ANKH, the young women's program; and Women Like Me, a once-a-month support group for women who have come out later in life after a heterosexual relationship.
Abbott, who will remain with OPALGA until at least the end of the year, said the organization is working on whatever it takes to keep those programs running whether it can eventually retain them or another agency must pick them up.
"My main focus right now is to make sure these programs don't cease," Abbott said. "Hopefully, in the next month that will be resolved."
As for her own employment ceasing, Abbott, who has worked 10 years for OPALGA, is more concerned with making sure the organization moves forward in her absence.
"Any kind of change is difficult, but the flipside of that is the organization isn't going away," she said. "I really do think it'll make for a better organization in the long run."
Abbott said other than securing the future of its programs and keeping participants in the know as changes take place, OPALGA is in the process of figuring out who it must reach out to and how to best meet the needs of the Oak Park LGBT community.
Cochran said popular programs and traditions such as the monthly potluck dinners will continue despite the changes.
See www.OPALGA.org .
