Coalition Seeks More for Children : Funding: 60 county groups have joined to rally for additional federal dollars for social programs and education.

A coalition of more than 60 organizations from throughout San Diego County will rally today in Balboa Park in an attempt to generate support for more federal funds to support local programs for children.

“A lot of people have been coming forward since the riots in Los Angeles to try and mend the social fabric that’s been broken,” said John Falchi, a spokesman for the coalition called Save Our Cities-Save Our Children.

“By coming together, we’re letting people know there’s a widespread group of needs out there.”

Falchi and other coalition members said they would like congressional lawmakers to shift funding from national defense--a so-called peace dividend--to programs such as health care, education, housing and others benefiting San Diego’s and the nation’s children.

To accomplish their goal, coalition members plan to rally from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Organ Pavilion. The San Diego rally coincides with a national march on Washington sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Attending the national march will include San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor and City Councilman George Stevens.

Leaders of the nation’s cities announced their call for new spending priorities after watching federal funding for state and local governments plummet by about a third since the late 1970s, said Chris Cameron, an aide to O’Connor.

“San Diego has been hit hard by these reductions as well as every other city in the country,” Cameron said. “They’ve had a devastating impact on the cities’ ability to deliver adequate services to children and families.”

Falchi said he hopes efforts made by the coalition on the local level, such as letter writing and telephoning elected officials, will help lead to change by raising the public’s consciousness.

Coalition members include the San Diego Teachers Assn., the San Diego chapter of the National Organization for Women, as well as a host of religious, political and business groups and organizations.

“We felt very strong about this issue because as a part of our social mission we want to look out for children’s basic needs,” said coalition member Mary Griffiths, area supervisor for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shops.

“We see that the plight of children today has to do with the lack of funding for education and other children’s issues.”