Local charities look for a helping hand as weak economy fuels demand

People who walk in the door of the Interfaith Treasure House in Washougal aren’t used to asking for free food.

“We’re seeing a lot come in who were just recently laid off, and they’re not happy about coming in and saying they’re hungry or their family is hungry,” said Nancy Wilson, executive director.

The Treasure House, which operates a food bank and thrift store as well as outreach progams such as emergency rent and utility assistance, isn’t happy either.

“Our thrift store sales are down and the need is up,” Wilson said. “Just like a lot of other nonprofits, we’re struggling.”

Many Clark County charities and nonprofit agencies are feeling the pinch of the current economic slowdown, and they’re passing that pinch along to people who need their services. Others have yet to feel the squeeze — but check back in another few months, officials said, and things could be very different.

“We’re having to retrench,” said Jesse Dunn, executive director of the Arc of Clark County, which assists and advocates for people with developmental disabilities. “We’re doing just fine with delivering the services we provide, but reaching out to more individuals will be done at a much slower pace.”

Dunn spoke of a “generous but nervous donor base” that’s proving a bit hesitant to part with cash and used clothing.

“We haven’t seen a downturn yet, but we’re concerned that people will hold onto their used clothing a little bit longer, they won’t go out and purchase clothing like they normally would.

“But so far, so good,” he said.

Agencies that provide emergency services and basic necessities — food and shelter — are closer to the edge than other nonprofit, donation-driven organizations.

At this time last year, the Interfaith Treasure House was distributing approximately 300 food boxes per month. Now the number is above 400, Wilson said, and food suppliers — such as the Oregon Food Bank and the Stop Hunger Warehouse — are facing shortfalls of their own.

“We seem to be down on donations right now,” said James Fitzgerald, manager of the Stop Hunger Warehouse, a central distributor to Clark County food banks. “We just had a meeting of all the food banks yesterday where everybody was saying they’re seeing new clients who haven’t been there before. We’re probably up 20 percent in new clients. Everybody’s resources are really dwindling.”

According to a biennial Oregon Food Bank Network survey, demand for emergency food boxes in Clark County and throughout Oregon was up approximately 5 percent, or 40,000 food boxes, from fiscal 2007 to fiscal 2008. High food, fuel and housing costs all contributed to the rise from 750,000 boxes in 2007 to 792,000 boxes in 2008.

According to the survey, the price of bread rose 26 percent, the price of milk rose 24 percent and the price of gas rose 37 percent.

“Sponsorships and donations have slowed,” said Craig Lyons, executive director of the Council for the Homeless. “We are going to be dipping into our reserves. It’s going to be a tough winter.”

Lyons said corporate donations often match individual giving, so when the latter dies off, so does the former. “There are a lot of wheels turning, and one stopped wheel stops them all,” he said.

Meanwhile, calls to the council’s Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse hot line are way up, he said. Lyons said his greatest wish is that people in danger of becoming homeless reach out for help — for debt counseling or rent assistance — before they wind up in a shelter or on the street.

“Call early, don’t wait until you have a foreclosure or an eviction notice,” he said. “If you expect to face a struggle, call now.”

At the Southwest Washington chapter of the American Red Cross, corporate donations have fallen off more steeply than individual ones, according to executive director Sheryl Beauchaine.

“We’re down about 20 percent from where we wanted to be,” she said. “Generosity from individuals is still there but we’re seeing corporations saying, ‘We love you but we can’t support you this year because we have to take care of our own.’”

Sometimes businesses are still able to provide in-kind gifts — printer paper, used computer equipment — when they can’t make money donations, she said.

A couple of open positions at the Red Cross have been left unfilled for months now, Beauchaine said.

Nonprofit agencies that don’t provide emergency services to needy people say they’re still doing fine.

“It may be too soon for us to feel any effects,” said Celia Gesting, president of the Vancouver Symphony. “We’re where we usually are in our fiscal year. And our ticket sales are actually up about 26 percent.

“My theory is that even in hard times, you need something to take your mind off your troubles,” she said. The symphony’s half-price season ticket offer probably helps, she said.

The Parks Foundation, which funnels donated money to Clark County parks and recreation projects, is expecting its budget to remain stable next year.

“In terms of membership, we’re doing OK,” said executive director Cheri Martin. But sponsorships for the foundation’s big fundraiser of the year, its golf tournament, have felt the crunch.

“We had some notable missing pieces,” Martin said. “Car dealerships and construction companies can’t spend extra money on things like that right now.”

Martin said she thinks people who care about parks are tracking the fact that county and municipal budgets are being squeezed.

“It’s hard for the city and county to fund parks at the level we want them,” she said. “When times get tough, we all have to pitch in, I think people understand that,” she said.

Martin said the Parks Foundation “is trying to move away from support through events. It seems like the tail wagging the dog.”

That point was driven home when 33-year-old Southwest Washington Independent Forward Thrust (SWIFT), which led the way in local gala fundraisers and auctions, decided to quit competing with the very charities it was created to support. SWIFT plans to dissolve at the end of this year, after making one last round of grants.

The Interfaith Treasure House has given up on benefit dinners, Wilson said. Instead, there’s going to be a benefit concert, featuring bluegrass group the Annie Moses Band, on Oct. 22.

On the other hand, the YWCA’s 15th annual benefit luncheon, held last Thursday, aimed to raise $90,000 in table donations from the 600 people who attended. The final tally was $139,900.