Southern Indiana charities feeling the pinch of a slow economy

By TARA HETTINGER
Tara.Hettinger@newsandtribune.com

November 29, 2008 07:36 pm

— More people needing help this season, along with fewer people giving due to tighter budgets, is making some who work for charities a little nervous about making this year’s holiday season a bright one for all.
The 25th annual The Salvation Army Angel Tree is a tradition regularly seen at Greentree Mall. The difference this year is about 500 more angels decorate the tree when compared to last year.
“This is the biggest year we’ve ever had,” Roxanne Haley, business administer for The Salvation Army said, adding that the total is 4,654 angels. “We just need the public’s help.”
She said the group needs financial donations or for people to adopt the angels.
“[I’m a] little concerned,” Haley said, reminiscing on the first year, when the tree only had 200 angels. “I’m more concerned this year than I think I’ve ever have been because of the numbers.
“We have to feel confident that the public will get out and adopt those children.”
Haley’s anxieties are felt among many other charity groups
“We’re just really constrained on how we can do business,” said Christine Harbeson, executive director of Interfaith Council, which serves Floyd County. “Usually, we can buy extra food, help people with their rent by using money that isn’t designated for other funds. Once that’s gone, we can only operate within the areas of designated funds. If something happens, we can’t deal with it.
“And those funds are nearly depleted.”
“We have seen an uptick in client load in recent weeks, certainly due to economic conditions,” said Mark Porter, executive director for the Center for Lay Ministries. “The economy is also starting to show its effect in that some funders of grants are saying they will have less to give in the next grant cycles.”
“The economy has affected our fundraising efforts and it’s possible that we may not raise more money than we did last year. That, in turn, hurts our agencies and the programs they support,” said Mark Zanni, vice president of marketing and communications for Metro United Way, which oversees many nonprofit organizations. “Due to the effect that the economy has had within our community, there is [also] a greater need for assistance.”
“The economy has taken a toll on those individuals who were just barely making ends meet,” Doug Drake, executive director with Personal Counseling Service, a faith-based organization that provides counseling and psychiatric services to residents in Southern Indiana. “The financial stressors has increased anger in some people, acts of violence has increased, depression is rising as well as a sense of helplessness in some families.”
“We are receiving an additional 8-10 calls per day for our services and many of these are single-parent families with children who desperately need these mental health services but have no insurance or Medicaid,” he added, saying donations received are used to provide those services.
Those needing help aren’t just families or youngsters, but also the seniors. One group helping seniors is Home Instead Senior Care, who is sponsoring Be a Santa to a Senior.
Kim Maniloff, director of marketing for Home Instead, said the Southern Indiana group took less names this year, since the group is worried about the economy stopping people from helping more.
“I wish I could take every one of them,” Maniloff said of the seniors needing assistance. “I think it’s important that we remember that kids aren’t the only ones that need to be included in Christmas.”
The troubled economy has not just taken a toll on donations, but it is making those needing help more desperate.
“We’ve got people wanting gift cards for groceries, laundry detergent. It’s pretty heartfelt. It just makes me cry,” she said.
Maniloff, like many others, is holding on to faith that it will all work out.
“I smile too knowing that Southern Indiana is awesome,” she said, referring to 50 seniors names being placed on a tree in Wal-Mart in New Albany for adoption and all being gone in the first day.
Some, such as Toys for Tots locally, are seeing increases in giving.
“I’ve had so many people concerned, I think there are more people giving than before,” said John Peyton, volunteer coordinator for the Southern Indiana counties for the program. “I think that those, who are close to the edge with a tight budget, appreciate what it means to give a child a gift of hope. That’s what a gift at Christmas does. It tells a child that someone cares and it gives them hope.”
Peyton said the success is all thanks to the people who live in Southern Indiana.
“Every year, the generosity of the people in this area, they come through. It’s incredible,” he said. “I’m absolutely delighted every year to see how people care so much.”
Others are holding on to hope to have the same success.
“Just this week, we sent out our annual appeal letter to our regular donors,” said Keith Stormes, executive director of LifeSpan Resources Inc., which works to feed seniors. “We are optimistic, but won’t know the results for a couple of weeks yet.”

Wish list
What local agencies are wishing for this holiday season:

Serves Clark County
• WHO: Center for Lay Ministries
• WHAT: Clark County residents in need can come and get canned food. The group also supplies food baskets to those in need during the holiday season.
• WISH: For canned food donations of meat, soups, fruit, vegetables and beans.
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Mark Porter at 812-282-0063.

• WHO: Clark County Red Cross
• WHAT: Helps with emergency relief efforts in the area.
• WISH: For financial contributions.
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 812-283-8416.

Serves Floyd County
• WHO: Interfaith Council
• WHAT: Helps those in need by supplying food, helping with rent, providing toys to families for the holidays and more.
• WISH: Food and money donations to last through the slower donation months of January and February.
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Carol Kannapel at 812-948-9248. She can match donors to their interest, such as those who like to shop for shoes can do that to help the cause.

Serves Clark and Floyd Counties
• WHO: The Salvation Army
• WHAT: Helps provide food, clothing, rent assistance and more to those in need. This group is in charge of the Angel Tree in Greentree Mall and various bell ringers throughout Southern Indiana.
• WISH: Financial contributions, people to adopt angels by Dec. 14 and volunteers to help with bell ringing and the Angel Tree.
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call the New Albany office at 812-944-1018.

• WHO: Be a Santa to a Senior: Sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care
• WHAT: Sets up trees that are decorated with angels, which have wish lists of area seniors in need. Wal-Mart in Clarksville and New Albany have trees, along with other sites.
• WISH: To adopt all angels and for volunteers to help wrap and deliver gifts.
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 812-948-9770.

• WHO: Toys for Tots
• WHAT: Collects toys for children in need in Southern Indiana.
• WISH: For new, unwrapped toys. Those can be dropped off at various locations, including Jeff Wyler’s Toyota of Clarksville where a $10 valued toy will give the one donating a free oil change until Dec. 15; Ottawa University, in Jeffersonville; Schmitt Furniture, in New Albany; and many more.
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact John Peyton at 812-949-7312.

• WHO: Metro United Way
• WHAT: Oversees various nonprofit organizations and lets those in need know who to contact for what.
• WISH: For financial donations and for people to spread the word on 2-1-1, a 24/7 information hotline for those that need help.
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact 502-292-6133.

• WHO: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana
• WHAT: Matches younger children with community members who serve as positive mentors.
• WISH: New books for elementary/middle school children, tickets to events so the duos can bond together, new gloves and stocking caps for the Littles, volunteers to serve as Bigs and more volunteers to help paint a room at the new headquarters.
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 1-877-588-2300.

• WHO: LifeSpan Resources Inc.
• WHAT: The group’s mission is to promote independent living for people of all ages. LifeSpan is known for its Meals on Wheels program and transportation services.
• WISH: Financial contributions and volunteers to deliver meals to those in need. The group also has angels available for adoption.
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: On volunteering, adopting an angel and more, contact Earlene Bennett at 812-206-7904.

• WHO: Personal Counseling Service
• WHAT: A faith-based organization that provides counseling and psychiatric services to Southern Indiana.
• WISH: Financial donations to provide services to those who work, but do not have insurance; volunteers to assist with clerical and front office duties; cleaning supplies; and funds/services to have the tile floor stripped, waxed and sealed.
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 812-283-8383.

• WHO: The Center for Women and Families
• WHAT: An organization dedicated to ending domestic violence, sexual violence and economic hardship in Southern Indiana.
• WISH: For $25 gift cards, to retail outlets such as Wal-Mart and Kmart, to be given to mothers living in shelters or receiving supportive non-residential services to shop for the holidays for their children.
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Janet Sonner, volunteer manager, at 502-581-7268.

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