Local social needs exceed donations

The demand for social services generally increased by double digits this year in Columbia, where the unemployment rate rose as high as 8 percent. Donations to many individual charities decreased, and the city’s overall allocation to social services declined by 1 percent.

There was, however, a saving grace in 2009; contributions to the Heart of Missouri United Way remained steady. (And unemployment has dropped to about 6 percent.)

The United Way, primarily fueled by fund drives at local businesses, was within sight of its fundraising goal with a few weeks left in the annual campaign, according to the agency’s interim director Tim Rich.

As of Dec. 1, the United Way’s Community Campaign had raised a bit more than $3.1 million, or 97.5 percent of its $3.2 million goal. Last year’s goal was slightly higher at $3.25 million, and the amount raised was $3.16 million.

However, Rich said the need for services at United Way’s 31 partner-agencies in the Columbia area was much higher this year than in 2008.

A survey of the United Way agencies by CBT affirmed Rich’s assessment. Some reported dramatic increases during 2009, while the monetary intake and fundraising of the organizations didn’t keep up.

The “most notable” aspect of the social service needs in 2009, Rich said, “are the number of families seeking help who have never needed help before.”

During public hearings in August, social service advocates strongly protested the city’s proposed cuts in social service funding, up to 5 percent in some areas. The City Council approved a 1 percent decrease in social service funding for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

Need by the Numbers

400: The number of low-income, at-risk children on the Boys & Girls Club’s waiting list for services.

27: The percentage increase in people served by Job Point’s employment program in Columbia from 2008 to 2009.

50: The percentage increase in time it took Job Point to find positions for people this year compared to last year.

43: The percentage increase in requests to the Voluntary Action Center for work-related transportation assistance from 2008 to 2009.

24: The percentage increase in families seeking food assistance from the Central Missouri

Food Bank.

24: The percentage increase in needs among parenting families provided by Lutheran Family and Children’s Services.

10: The percentage increase in senior citizens needing assistance from the Boone County Council on Aging.

Umbrella group’s downpour of requests…

The Voluntary Action Center, an organization that provides a host of services to those with low-income, reported an 11 percent increase in the number of families they have served so far this year compared to the same period in 2008, Director Cindy Mustard said. Some of the percentage increases in the past year include:

188: medical co-pays

103: fan distributions

55: dental co-pays

40: households receiving bus tickets

25: assistance for eyeglasses

… drains rainy-day funds

“The funds we receive from the churches in the community for the majority of services VAC provides are only at $28,300,” Mustard said, “and in return we have provided $35,200 in services (by) using unused funds accumulated from previous years.”

The organization sent out letters to businesses and individuals in the community and promoted the fact that VAC reached its 40th anniversary this year. Still, VAC’s Spring Into Action event, the largest fundraiser of the year, brought in about $2,000 less than in spring 2008 — $26,165.

The Family Health Center provides discounted medical, dental and mental health services to the “medically underserved,” Executive Director Gloria Crull said. The federal grants the organization received, $1.8 million this year, weren’t enough to cover the cost of providing those services, so employees wrote additional grant applications and aggressively sought compensation from insurance companies. The center also hired Steve Long, the new planning and development director, who will begin fundraising efforts in 2010.

Meals on Wheels served about 3,000 people during its largest fundraiser, Big Wheels, in which they deliver box lunches to business volunteers who deliver them. They raised $13,691, which is lower than last year. Although the organization didn’t serve more meals during 2009, they are still planning on making some changes in the new year to help create more funding for the program.

“In 2010 we are trying to sell corporate sponsorships to increase our profits as a new strategy,” Executive Director Marcia Walker said.

The Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri had a 24-percent increase this year in needs among parenting families, Rich said.

“We have seen an increased need, definitely,” Columbia Director Christine White said. “We have more and more clients becoming homeless because they can’t pay their rent or utilities.” The organization has experienced a decrease in funding from the United Way, White added.

In the past Rainbow House has held two or three special events to help the organization meet the needs of the underprivileged kids they serve. But with an unstable economy and a decline in donations, the organization scaled down to just one large special fundraising event in 2009. They decided to focus on their 19-year-old golf tournament, but even that event struggled.

“In the past two years, we’ve had a decrease in the amount of funds and a decrease in the amount of golfers,” Executive Director Jan

Stock said.

To help make up for declining donations, Rainbow House looked to the business community “to help in any way they can,” Stock said.

She said many businesses were willing to help out with product donations or event promotions.

“In the past two years as the economy has gotten more stressed, our special events and donations have dropped,” Stock said.

At a City Council public hearing in August, Stock said the organization had to lay-off or freeze six of their positions in the past two years, which limited the number of children they could serve. Because positions had been eliminated, Rainbow House had turned away 25 children.

Melissa Hanstein, special events manager of the Alzheimer’s Association, said the organization experienced greater need from individuals with early on-set Alzheimer’s disease. Their main fundraiser, Memory Walk, had more participants this year, but the donations were lower than in 2008.

All of the programs at Boys & Girls Town are at capacity, and Director of Advancement Julie McBride said the fundraising efforts for the program are important especially as state funding “continues to be in question for the social services field in general.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters recently received 170 new referrals for children in Columbia who have a parent in prison and need a Big Brother or a Big Sister, said Executive Director Georgalu Swoboda. This year, the organization used its largest fundraiser Countdown to Kickoff to raise funds to match more role-model mentors with at-risk children.

Boonslick Heartland YMCA kicked off a yearlong campaign for its scholarship program in February. The group has raised $38,000 and was behind in funds compared to this time last year (as of Dec. 1).

University “Y” struggled to help provide scholarships for Columbia kids this year. “We give scholarships to kids to go to summer day camp, and there was a notable increase,” said Julie Alexander, executive director.

Adult Day Connection held an art show fundraiser for the second year in a row.

“There are more people asking for financial assistance,” Director Amy Byergo said.

Despite raising $5,000 more than in 2008 at its largest fundraiser of the year, Family Counseling Centers is struggling with an increase in demand for services.

“With more and more people losing jobs, they’re: A, losing insurance for counseling or B, can’t afford the co-pay on regular counseling services,” said Sharon Schopflin, director of quality improvement and marketing. “Our waiting list has gone up dramatically, and there are more people calling with a crisis.”

Unlimited Opportunities didn’t need to serve more people in 2009, but Executive Director Vicki McCarrell said finding funding was difficult this year.

“The need is finding more creative ways for funding,” she said.

Services for Independent Living did “OK financially,” but the organization supplemented fundraising efforts with grant writing, said Executive Director Aimee Wehmeier.

“We recognize the impact of the economy, but at the same time we’ve just had to work harder to find additional funding” Wehmeier said.

The Central Missouri Food Bank had an increase in donations this year, but it also fed an increased number of people. As of Dec. 1 the average number of people was 94,000 per month, said Executive Director Peggy Kirkpatrick.

In 2009 more boys needed scholarships for the Boy Scouts of America program and camp than in previous years, said Mike Miller, director of finance and marketing for the Great Rivers Council. And the Girl Scouts are “always in need of funding” to support programs that teach girls to be “self-sustaining” members of society, said Brigitte Scott, chief communications officer for the Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland.

The Shelter had increased requests for emergency shelter this year, said Director of Development Brenda Baker.

“We are starting to see some folks who might have been in situations they were tolerating before but because of the economy they can no longer tolerate,” Baker said.

The Boone County Council on Aging gave 8,000 hours of service this year (as of Dec. 1) as opposed to 3,800 hours at this time last year, said Executive Director Jessica Macy.

“We don’t bring in money for our services, so as demand goes up there is a greater need for funding,” Macy said.