Budget Woes Force Big Sisters to Shut Branch : Social agencies: Group says an 18% drop in revenue prompts closure of San Gabriel Valley office. Officials predict a one-third decrease in number of matches they can make between role models and girls.

Faced with a “very significant” deficit, Big Sisters of Los Angeles will close its San Gabriel Valley office Monday and could shut down its San Fernando Valley operation by the end of August, officials of the nonprofit organization announced Friday.

Prompted by a drop in donations, the action will mean fewer new partnerships between girls from troubled homes and female role models such as Yvette Herrera, the nation’s Big Sister of the year, who was matched through the Van Nuys branch.

“What we’ve figured is we’re going to have a 33% decrease in the number of new matches next year,” said Janet Schulman, executive director of Big Sisters of Los Angeles. “That really means that these kids are not going to get the role models they need.”

The Los Angeles agency, part of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, has offices in Rosemead, Van Nuys, Carson and Los Angeles. Countywide, the agency provides support services for 330 girls.

Women who volunteer as role models are matched with girls between ages 6 and 18, helping them with homework, taking them to cultural and educational attractions, and providing someone to talk to, said Carol Holben, program director. Most girls come from dysfunctional families.

Schulman said the Rosemead office will close because the agency cannot afford to renew the lease, which expires Monday. The office houses two part-time social workers who serve a clientele of mostly Asian-American and Latina youths. One social worker is leaving voluntarily and the other will be transferred, Schulman said.

The agency is struggling to find resources to keep the Van Nuys branch office open past August 31, when its lease expires.

Schulman said the financial difficulties of Big Sisters of Los Angeles stem from a decrease in private donations, which account for 85% of the agency’s funding, and in government grants, which provide the rest.

“Over the past two years, we have lost 18% in revenues,” Schulman said. “Our budget deficit is very significant.”

The agency projects that only about $635,000 will be raised by the end of June for this fiscal year, far short of the $750,000 needed to run the operation.

Cases handled out of the Rosemead office will be transferred to the Mid-Wilshire office, creating problems for social workers and clients.

“Having that office closed means I won’t be able to supervise the matches in the way I was doing,” said Venecia Back, one of the social workers in the Rosemead office. “I won’t be able to counsel the families through any crises that may come.”

Luke Fishburn, executive director of Catholic Big Brothers in Los Angeles, said he can empathize with Big Sisters’ plight. His organization was forced to trim $55,000 in services from its programs but has managed to keep all four branch offices open.

“We’re sorry they need to do this, but I’m sure they will bounce back as the economy bounces back,” Fishburn said. “We’re all hurting for money.”

Herrera, honored last month by President Clinton as 1993 National Big Sister by Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, is concerned about the potential loss of the valley office.

“It will make it harder to recruit,” Herrera said, pointing out that many families have limited transportation. “If you have a car, you can drive down to the Mid-Wilshire office for orientation. If you don’t have a car, it’s more complicated.”

The closure of the San Gabriel Valley office has hit home for Rosie Rodriguez, whose Baldwin Park family has often been shattered in the past by abuse.

Rodriguez’s daughter, 6-year-old Nicole, has been waiting for a big sister for several months. Her other daughter, 9-year-old Stephanie, has a big sister.

Rodriguez, who has seen Stephanie’s outlook on life improve dramatically with her big sister, said she will wait as long as it takes.

“I’ve seen a lot of change in Stephanie,” Rodriguez said. “Stephanie’s more open with (her big sister) than she is with me, which is just fine. I would wait a year for Nicole to get a match.”