DECATUR - Now that Oasis Day Center for the homeless has raised half the money to cover a shortfall in operating funds for the coming year, churches and other organizations are coming together to find funding over the long term.

Twenty people, including representatives of Church of Christ Scientist, First Christian Church, First Presbyterian Church, Good Samaritan Inn, Homeward Bound, Mental Health Association of Macon County, St. Mary's Hospital and the United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois, attended a meeting Wednesday morning at Central Christian Church to brainstorm ideas to get individuals and groups to make multiyear pledges as Oasis Community Partners.

About $80,000 in donations have come in since a town hall meeting May 5 called attention to a $155,000 shortfall for the fiscal year beginning July 1 because of reduced funding from the Illinois Division of Mental Health.

Diana Knaebe, president of Heritage Behavioral Health Center, said she does not yet know how much additional money Oasis will get from ticket sales for the June 12 premiere of Decatur filmmaker Jake Rademacher's documentary "Brothers at War" at the Avon Theatre.

Tammy Bledsaw of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Decatur also said that half the donations made at Earthstock, an informational event at her church July 25 and 26, will go to Oasis.

"It's amazing what the response was from the community after the cry went out," said Terry Cunningham, outreach coordinator for Millikin University's School of Music and organizer of Wednesday's meeting. "But we can't keep having a crisis and asking people to come up with money all of a sudden."

Elizabeth Keith, outreach chairwoman for St. John's Episcopal Church, said churches should be urged to provide support. "This is a real Christian responsibility," she said. "We can't just turn our eyes away and hope somebody else does it."

The Rev. Robert Bushey, minister of children, youth and families at Central Christian Church, said Oasis is needed more than it was when it opened in 1999, serving about 600 people monthly, compared to about 300 a month nine years ago.

"Oasis opened to provide a safe place for people in our community who had no place to go during the day, a place that was safer than Central Park," Bushey said. "We're in danger of losing that."

Other strategies discussed at the meeting included organizing a campaign kickoff event and approaching people who could make large donations one on one.

Richelle Irons, neighborhood outreach manager for the city of Decatur, said Oasis might have a shot at getting a one-time $5,000 neighborhood improvement grant from the city. The program also could lobby the city council for general funds and seek to be included in the city's next five-year consolidated plan.

"Oasis has done a fabulous job, and I think it's been to their detriment," Irons said. "They've removed the problem so people don't see the problem, so they think there is no problem."

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