Holiday Fund: No recovery at the bottom Holiday Fund: No recovery at the bottom (December 22, 2004)

Charities struggle to meet rising needs with less money

By Marion Softky

Almanac Staff Writer

Recovery? What recovery?

Too many people who are struggling with poverty, sickness, physical and substance abuse, homelessness, joblessness and low wages haven't seen the much-vaunted economic bounce. Neither have their children. Nor have the charities that help them.

"The recovery has not yet hit the people we see coming through our doors," says Teri Chin, executive director of the Fair Oaks Community Center, which clocks 100,000 visits a year from people needing everything from food and referrals, to legal advice and exercise. "A lot of the folks we deal with are working."

The Fair Oaks Community Center is just one of 10 local charities that will benefit from people donating through the Almanac's Holiday Fund. Contributions are matched by the Peninsula Community Foundation and other donors.

The 10 charities have been profiled in the Almanac over the last four weeks; in addition listings have been provided for other local charities that help the needy in our communities.

These charities have not noticed the "recovery." They all report increasing needs, and flat or less funding from government, foundations, and individuals. Most rely on government -- local, state and federal -- for a substantial part of their budget. And with monster deficits, those funds are down.

"The deficit is huge, and it's filtering down to us," says Deborah Vargas, executive director of Free at Last, which runs drug and alcohol programs in East Palo Alto. "We have to work with the same amount of people with less money. It's a magic trick."

San Mateo County Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson agrees.

"The economy has not recovered," she says. "People who don't have a high income are still suffering. Even people who have a good paying job are struggling because of the cost of housing."

Some of these are turning to Shelter Network, San Mateo County's agency serving the homeless.

"We're seeing the working poor -- folks with low-wage jobs who struggle to make ends meet," says Executive Director Michelle Jackson. "A single crisis -- like family breakup, losing child care, sickness, or even car repair -- can cause them to fall behind in the rent. It's just an expensive place to live."

Early donations are down at Ecumenical Hunger Program, a major charity in East Palo Alto. "We're seeing lots of new people," says Nevida Butler, executive director, who is afraid they will run out of turkeys. "We will not be buying hams this year. We're out of money. We do have some chickens."

The Urban Ministry of Palo Alto (now part of InnVision), which serves the homeless on the streets, is seeing more people who need help to stay in the houses they already have.

"We're seeing more people who need help with food or rent or holiday toys," says Executive Director Brooke Scharnke. "We always have basic needs: food, groceries, socks and underwear -- the really basic stuff -- you can never have enough of it."

Supervisor Jacobs Gibson offers a reminder: "People have needs every day of the year. Let's keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts around the year."

E-mail a friend a link to this story.