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State budget cuts could leave more than 30 Tucsonans with developmental disabilities without jobs by the end of March.

They are employed through the Beacon Group, a nonprofit that provides job training, employment and placement for people with mental and physical disabilities.

The Arizona Department of Economic Security notified Beacon last week that clients whose jobs rely solely on state dollars — as opposed to a combination of state and federal dollars — would no longer have funding as of March 27, said Beacon President Steve King.

The state made an exception for Beacon clients who live in group homes, but without another money source the agency will have to lay off 30 employees.

Beacon is also dealing with an additional 10 percent cut in funding, King said. Overall, the agency will see about a $1 million decrease in the $5 million it normally gets from DES, he said.

As such, another 18 clients, whom Beacon assists without state or federal funding, will lose that help because the agency can no longer afford it, King said.

That means a total of 48 workers face possible layoff.

One employee expected to lose his job is 30-year-old Verl Foley, who works for Beacon's document-destruction service.

A bright, wide smile spreads across Foley's face when he talks to people. He said he's not sure what he'll do if he loses his job, but he'd rather keep working there. "I like working with my friends," he said.

Foley's mother, Vernell Foley, said the cuts are unfair because they hurt people who are already struggling. "I'm just hoping and praying that the Lord will let him keep his job," she said.

Verl Foley has a learning disability and he's capable of doing many things, but Beacon is a good fit for him, his mother said. He uses the money he makes to contribute to his church, buy some personal items for himself and to help his family.

"He enjoys being there," she said. "It's worked out so perfectly."

Some of the employees work at Beacon's headquarters at 308 W. Glenn St., providing services for manufacturers and distributors. Others work at off-site partner companies. Their pay is based on their productivity.

But for most, getting paid isn't the most important reason for working, said development director Patrick McCarthy.

"For many, the money is not the issue; it's the fact that they have something to do," McCarthy said. Explaining to the employees they won't be able to work at Beacon any more is "really hard," he said.

Program managers will try to help them find other employment depending on the severity of their disability, but given the current job climate that could prove a daunting challenge.

"We really feel an obligation" to the clients, King said. "And of course this is a tremendous impact on their lives."