Cornell Cooperative Extension is in jeopardy of having to end several of its critical programs because of a lack of funding from Nassau County. The county allotted Cornell Cooperative Extension just $200,000 in the 2004 budget to keep the organization running, CCE needs twice that amount.

That's a small price for the county to pay, considering the return it gets from CCE programs. For every $1 of county funding, an additional $4 is leveraged from other sources, including grants, and state and federal monies. All of that funding is used directly for programs tailored to the needs of Nassau residents. In short, if Cornell Cooperative receives its request of $420,000, it can leverage a total of $1.6 million in program services for Nassau residents.

The numbers add up! Giving Cornell Cooperative Extension the additional funding benefits the county, its residents, and will keep wonderful programs, such as 4H youth development, nutrition workshops, and parenting classes alive.

Harry Van Allen