The North Stonington Board of Finance is considering a proposal that would cut the town's $17,500 allocation to the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center by $5,000.

Neighborhood center Director Vicki Anderson, who asked the board to restore the cut Wednesday night, said the reduction would have a big impact on the center, which last year served 87 North Stonington families consisting of 111 adults, 23 seniors and 67 children.

She had asked that North Stonington give the center the same amount in 2012-13 that it has for the past several years.

Anderson said the finance board decided to put off a decision about restoring the money until it and the Board of Selectmen meet next week.

First Selectman Nick Mullane could not be reached for comment Thursday.

"I've had a good relationship with Nick over the years, but I'm shocked that they would consider this," Anderson said.

She said Mullane had told her that it was a difficult budget year for his town.

"There's no question all of our towns are having a difficult time. I understand that. But I don't think we should leave our most vulnerable people behind," Anderson said. "We can't shrink their safety net."

Anderson said the center is providing more and more assistance each year to the people in the three communities it serves, which includes North Stonington and Westerly.

The Weekender Backpack Food Program, which provides food for children when they are not in school, feeds 21 North Stonington children every Friday.

In 2010-11, for example, the center distributed 1,450 bags of food valued at $78,979 to North Stonington residents, 239 percent more than what was handed out in 2006-07.

The center also provides assistance in the form of daily living supplies, infant essentials, clothing, the holiday food program, toys at Christmas and back-to-school supplies.

Anderson said the schools, churches and organizations in North Stonington have all been supportive of the center over the years.

Town of Westerly, which gives the center $10,500, and Stonington, which contributes $118,000, plan to give the center the same funding as this year in their 2012-13 budgets, she said.

"If we have flat funding from all three towns, I'd be very grateful," she said.

j.wojtas@theday.com