CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE – FROM RED TO GREEN

The next morning, however, reality came crashing back as Joan arrived at the Lighthouse Counselling Centre. She found Zoe waiting for her, a worried frown creasing her forehead. "Joan, we need to talk," Zoe said, her voice tight with concern. "It's about the finances." Joan felt her stomach drop. "What's wrong?" They retreated to Joan's office, where Zoe spread out a series of spreadsheets and financial reports. "Our operational costs are much higher than we anticipated," Zoe explained, pointing to various figures. "The new equipment, the increased utility costs, the additional staff we had to hire to meet demand... it's all adding up faster than our revenue can keep up." Joan studied the numbers, her heart sinking. "How bad is it?" Zoe sighed. "If things continue like this, we'll be in the red within three months." Joan leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. "Okay. We need to review every expense, see where we can cut costs without compromising patient care. Can you get the