The Quad City Times is reporting that United Neighbors, a long serving social service agency, is closing it's doors at Midnight Thursday. It's the end of a tumultuous fifteen months for the agency that started with the termination of Executive Director Ida Johnson and three staff members when, according to the Quad City Times, the deputy director of the agency discovered a misuse of funds.

The Quad City Times cites a statement from United Neighbors Board of Directors that mentions lawsuits, bad press, loss of funding from the United Way, hesitance of donors to continue to support the agency among the many reasons for the shutdown.

At first it made me sad that the agency was closing. Then it made me angry, and the more articles on the agency's troubles that I skimmed the more aggravated it made me. Running an agency like United Neighbors has to be hard. Making sure you're following grant guidelines, rules and laws without running afoul of them while helping clients is complicated. Yet it's what you do. It's imperative to do it well.

After the lawsuits, the finger pointing, the hurt feelings and frustrations there's no winners. Just losers. The people that put their faith in this agency to help them. The people involved in this agency who got involved to make a positive difference. Those who donated money. All losers. The biggest loser: Our community.

More From US 104.9