Somerville Cares About Prevention and the Somerville Mental Health Association perform what can only be described as, "God's work."

The Somerville Mental Health Association provides services to thousands of Somerville citizens who suffer from mental illness. Their therapeutic program at the high school is operated at a loss.

Now, both organizations are in trouble.

Somerville Cares About Prevention recently lost an expiring federal grant and will be forced to cut its budget by 50 percent next year. The Somerville Mental Health Association lost an important contract to provide mental health services to 800 city adults to a huge non-profit organization, VinFen, that has little visibility in Somerville.

In a recession, these are the organizations that are cut first and their already vulnerable clients are the first to suffer.

Somerville has too many divisions – but when we're down we stick together. Just check out the recent triumph of activists, residents and political leaders to move a Green Line maintenance facility that would have limited economic development and disrupted residential life.

Now, Somerville must come together and advocate for our neighbors who can't do so on their own. Somerville Cares About Prevention and the Somerville Mental Health Association have fought for us for years, now it's time to return the favor.