By Susan Shinn
sshinn@salisburypost.com
When faced with an economy in turmoil and an increased demand for services at Rowan Helping Ministries, you’d think Dianne Scott would be in a panic.
Nope.
To tell you the truth, Scott, RHM’s executive director, is downright serene.
“This community is so giving and so supportive of others in need,” Scott said last week.
Scott has been through economic downturns before.
“It’s a cyclical thing,” she says. “This is the giving season, but that thought will diminish after the holiday season. We rely on this time of year to get the majority of our budget.”
Scott noted that 89 percent of Rowan Helping Ministries’ expenses go toward program services, with only 11 percent for administrative costs.
She also said that grants from local foundations “mean everything.”
“We trust that we will be supported,” Scott said. “They believe in us and we believe the support will continue.
“Ours is a faith-based budget. We’ll keep continuing to do what we do.”