SafeWalk looks to avoid future debt

SafeWalk had a rocky start to the school year, but the group is working toward a sustainable business model.

After temporarily losing its student fee funding from Student Congress due to debt in the fall, SafeWalk has been working to come up with new ways to avoid those same mistakes.

Ryan Darge, program and finance director of SafeWalk, is confident that the new plan will save the group from falling into debt again next year.

“We are in the process of coming up with a new model, so we won’t have to rely on the same funding sources for next year,” Darge said.

Because SafeWalk is a newer organization, there is still much concern about its success in the years to come.

“I honestly don’t expect them to be fully successful in just one year,” said Samthosh Alahari, member of the finance committee for Congress.

Alahari said what SafeWalk does is narrow, and its success is based on UNC students’ needs for the service.

“I think they have the potential to be successful,” Alahari said. “It just kind of depends on whether students use the service as much as they said.”

This is not the only concern associated with SafeWalk’s financial success. Josh Aristy, the former finance committee chairman of Congress, said SafeWalk is relying on its ability to budget.

“We are trying to come to a resolution that will prevent this kind of cyclical debt and sort of get them on a more concrete plan,” Aristy said. “That way, we won’t have to worry about funding them from discretionary bodies. What we’re trying to do is get SafeWalk to a set point where it has a set budget every year.”

Darge said the debt issue was a result of a miscommunication, and the money the group received from the student safety and security committee — $12,200 — was an unexpected drop from the $20,000 it requested.

“I kind of came in surprised at the results and just had to work with what I had,” Darge said.

Despite the fact that the group is in debt, Darge said conquering this problem will make them a more successful organization in the future.

“The executive board of SafeWalk kind of faced this issue together for the first time this year, and I think it’s honestly made us a little bit stronger,” Darge said.

Student government and SafeWalk have yet to discuss a solution together.

“It’s really hard to sort of get everyone in one room and come to a conclusion,” Aristy said. “My hope is that the next government will be able to do that.”

He also acknowledges that SafeWalk is not the only group at fault in this debt crisis.

“In some ways, every party is to blame for not having a concrete solution at the time, but I think that’s something we’re all working toward,” said Aristy.

Darge said people should not worry about whether SafeWalk will remain on UNC’s campus.

“SafeWalk’s not going anywhere, especially with the new executive board coming in,” Darge said. “SafeWalk will be around for many years to come.”

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