Mi Journey loses funding

NOW: Mi Journey loses funding
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BENTON HARBOR, Mich.--- Mi Journey, a facility to help seniors with mental illnesses and social deficiencies has lost its funding and could be in danger of shutting down. The board of directors at Mi Journey learned on Tuesday that the Riverwood Center in NIles would no longer fund the facility. 

Dee Smith has been the director of Mi Journey since October. She says she was taken back by the funding cut. 

"They basically told us that they were going to pull their funding from us since we have not had a contract since October of last year," said Smith. Riverwood's CEO, Rick Compton tells ABC 57 that the funding stoppage was only temporary until safety concerns were addressed and the governing body of Mi Journey was restructured. 

"We’re looking for a functioning board, we’re looking for programming that they’re going to be providing for consumers," said Compton. Smith says her limited resources at Mi Journey make it difficult to keep the facility afloat. 

"I can’t do programs, I can’t do my director’s job," said Smith. "I can’t do everything by myself."

Compton says he's working with Mi Journey to help get the facility back on track, but the facility might shut down if it does not meet the government's standard. "Again we’re not going to continue cutting a check for them directly to Mi Journey, no," said Compton. 

Smith says she would had to see Mi Journey close down because of what the facility means to her. 

"They’re not participants," said Smith. "They are my family they are my strength, they are my heart."


 

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