DECATUR - Two state legislators vowed Monday to do all they can to restore funding for Operation CeaseFire for the fiscal year starting July 1.

State Rep. Bob Flider, D-Mount Zion, and state Sen. Frank Watson, R-Greenville, made the promises at the conclusion of a 90-minute meeting called by Flider in Decatur Public Library to learn about the progress CeaseFire Decatur has made since the city received a $230,000 grant to start a program this year.

The message that emerged, however, was that the five-member staff will not be able fulfill the program's mission of reducing the killings and shootings in the Old King's Orchard and GM Square neighborhoods by themselves.

"When we go out there, we have to be able to give people a reason not to fight," said outreach supervisor Anita Buckner. "We have to have the community's support and be able to get these people into jobs."

Not only does Gov. Rod Blagojevich's $60 billion budget proposal contain no money for Operation CeaseFire, compared to $6.25 million for the current year, but CeaseFire staff members say many Decatur employers will not consider hiring anyone with a felony record and that Decatur churches have been slow to get involved in the program's mission.

The Rev. James Hodges, violence prevention coordinator, said letters and e-mails sent to more than 100 churches and outreach ministries in December produced only eight responses, and he is contacting them again. "The faith community is an important element," Hodges said.

Community leaders expressing support for CeaseFire Decatur at Monday's meeting included Mayor Paul Osborne, Police Chief James Anderson, Macon County Assistant State's Attorney Tamara Wagoner, Decatur City councilmen Mike McElroy and Dan Caulkins, Melinda Hawbaker and Holly Crotty of the United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois, and Jeanelle Norman of the Decatur branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Executive Director Ray Batman of Dove Inc., CeaseFire Decatur's lead agency, said he's proud of what the staff has done so far.

"Now that we have this program rolling," Batman said, "it would be one of the cruelest jokes of all if we did not get the money to go forward next year."

Theresa Churchill can be reached at tchurchill@herald-review.com or 421-7978.