Area charities struggling to keep up with growing demand for services

Local charities are having trouble keeping up with an increasing demand for services this holiday season, thanks in part to layoffs and a recession.

"The need hasn't been felt this much since I came here 13 years ago," said Nancy Jernigan, executive director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri.

With the economic crisis and the ice storm and floods earlier in the year, "people are having a hard time," Jernigan said. "We haven't had that many big layoffs but a lot of ones with a small amount."

Thorngate Ltd. announced last month that it was closing its plant in Cape Girardeau by the end of January. More than 300 workers in the cutting and sewing department have been affected. Havco Wood Products in Cape Girardeau cut 60 full-time workers in August, and Newell Rubbermaid in Jackson eliminated 35 positions earlier this month.

However, as demand for services has gone up, the United Way is also expecting to fall short of its $1.275 million campaign goal by $55,000 to $75,000.

About $1 million has been given so far to the campaign, which ends in March.

In 2007, the United Way raised $1.25 million; its goal was $1.32 million.

More than 50 programs benefit from United Way funding.

Jernigan said people are willing to give in difficult circumstances, citing an increase in donations after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. But now Jernigan believes people are getting donor fatigue.

"People are distracted by the economy and the recent election," Jernigan said. "Though it's gone down recently, the price of gas has affected us the most."

To increase giving, the United Way is planning a new campaign aimed at reaching those who normally don't give to their cause. Jernigan said the campaign won't be launched until after the Salvation Army completes its Christmas kettle drive.

While that effort is ahead of where the 2007 drive was at the same time of year, Maj. Ben Stillwell of the Salvation Army shares Jernigan's concern that needs will outweigh income.

"I'm more than guardedly optimistic," Stillwell said. "We're ahead of last year's goal, but with the number of layoffs we're concerned that we may see more people in need of our services. We've had a wonderful year in donations, but we never knew we'd be in this downturn."

Through Dec. 7, the campaign has raised about $163,000 of its $269,300 goal, or about 60 percent.

Money raised from the drive funds, among other things, Christmas gift baskets and the annual Thanksgiving Day meal.

This year, the Salvation Army served 1,310 people Thanksgiving dinner at its headquarters at 701 Good Hope St. and in homes, an increase from 900 meals in 2007.

A recent Salvation Army canned food drive at Cape West 14 Cine resulted in the collection of about 33,107 canned items, breaking the record of 23,784 cans set last year. During the Dec. 6 drive, people who donated five cans were granted free admission into a movie before 5 p.m. and given a pass for another day with the donation of an additional 10 cans.

About 23,000 additional canned goods have been collected by the Salvation Army since October.

While the Salvation Army is seeing more people in need than before, Stillwell said, there are also more volunteers.

As of Friday, 450 people had volunteered to ring bells at the Salvation Army's 15 kettle locations in Southeast Missouri. Ninety-seven people volunteered in 2006 and 363 in 2007.

"But we can still use more volunteers," Stillwell said. "When we don't have a volunteer, we hire someone for minimum wage pay, which helps the economy. But the more volunteers we have, the better."

Meanwhile, food pantries are struggling to keep up with demand.

Denise Wimp, executive director of First Call, a resource and referral service for Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties, said layoffs and higher utility bills have put a strain on families served through various food pantries.

"People are lining up at seven in the morning to get food," Wimp said. "I call the food pantries regularly, and most of them have been saying they have more people coming in every day but not necessarily more food."

Among its pantries are Catholic Social Ministries, FISH Volunteers of Cape Girardeau, Hope of Hope and Red Star Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau, Jackson Food Pantry, Marble Hill Food Pantry and Scott City Ministerial Alliance.

While vegetables are the most common donated item, Wimp said other items, such as spaghetti, macaroni and cheese and soup, can be given to make a complete meal.

The Southeast Missouri Food Bank has seen a 25 percent increase in demand for food items since January. Executive director Karen Green said the squeeze on individuals and businesses is making it harder for the food bank to keep up the demand in the 16 counties it serves.

"Based on the reports I see, it looks like the food amount has not risen" at the food bank, Green said.

However, the biggest need, Green said, is for an individual, business or organization to donate a building. The food bank rents a 25,000-square-foot building at 3920 Nash Road in Cape Girardeau.

"It costs us $96,000 a year for rent," Green said. "If we could take that money and use it to buy food, just think how many people we could serve."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628

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