My column this Sunday is about a small program, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, that doesn't cost a lot but does a great deal for the community.
The state, however, cut 100 percent of its contribution to this statewide state and federally mandated program last fall.
Kern's Ombudsman office has been limping along ever since, but the ax is soon to fall as the county can't keep up its contributions any longer.
The woman keeping it alive, Nona Tolentino, won't abandon the program or the people who need her. She's like that. I first met her nearly 20 years ago when she was the director of the Jamison Center for abused and neglected children.
She has an incredible heart, knows how to run a program getting the most bang for the buck and is a no-nonsense kind of gal. I absolutely believe this community can rally behind the Ombudsman program. Without them, I'm not sure Nona can carry the entire burden.
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