Citing a lack of funds and grant money, the Pelathe Community Resource Center is scaling back hours and cutting staff.

This week, Sherry Gill, executive director, will step down to help prevent any more cuts in staff. She has been executive director since December and made the decision to step down with the center’s board of directors.

Gill

“It was a mutual decision that rather than lay off any more staff, we would go to an interim co-director situation,” Gill said.

Gill will continue to volunteer at the center and will train the volunteer co-directors.

“I know that my heart is with Pelathe, and I will in some way or another be involved, whether it’s advising or on the board,” she said.

Anita Arkeketa, president of the board of directors, said the changes at Pelathe were needed because some funding has dried up. Last fall, the center was without an executive director and grant writer from August to December.

“We missed about four to six months of funding and active grant submissions, and we’re kind of feeling the impact now,” Arkeketa said. “We have grants coming in the next couple of months, but we’re just going through a period where we’re a little lean.”

Arkeketa and Gill declined to give figures on the center’s budget or how many staff had been laid off.

Arkeketa said that the center would continue to provide its services and that the reduced hours would be temporary. She also said anyone who wanted to volunteer time or money to the center would be appreciated.

“We’re just trying to do the best we can,” she said. “Hopefully no one will really feel the change mostly it will be administrative.”