Tuesday, Oct. 07, 2008

Outlook 'bleak' for help agencies

Before the doors opened, more than 150 people gathered at the Salvation Army in Bradenton on Monday morning waiting for assistance.

The long lines shocked the agency's most seasoned veterans.

Normally, Salvation Army workers expect to see fewer than 10 people on the first Monday of the month at its 14th Street West center, according to Maj. Robert Pfeiffer. But the parking lot was jammed as people waited for food and rent and utility bill assistance.

Other local help agencies report similar spikes in need as the economic crisis deepens.

By mid-day Monday, volunteers at Our Daily Bread soup kitchen had served lunch to 222 people, a sharp increase over one year ago.

At Manatee Food Bank, run by Meals on Wheels Plus, requests for food are up 170 percent over last year.

"We delivered more food in the first five months of this year than we did in all of 2007," said Joe Mercado, director. "We can't keep up with the need."

But as the lines grow longer, donations dwindle, Mercado said. The people who used to help stock the food bank find themselves strapped as well, as food and gas prices climb.

Resources are scarce all around, report local agencies.

The reality is most of those waiting in line at the Salvation Army on Monday will be turned away without assistance because demand has spiked, said Pfeiffer.

Each month the agency has about $7,000 to give out for help with rent, mortgage and utility assistance. By Tuesday, the funds are expected to be used up, causing the Salvation Army to turn people away for the rest of October.

The best-case scenario is there will be enough money for 10 to 12 of those requests.

"It is a bleak picture," said Pfeiffer.

Alejandra Badillo came to the Salvation Army on Monday to get food from its pantry.

"The cost of everything is going up; I can't afford it," she said. "It has brought me to this point where I have to ask for help."

"Most of the people we see have tried many other places before coming to us," said Pfeiffer. "We are the last resort for most of these people. Many of the people you see here will be on the street next month."

Rose Mundorff, 62, recently retired and realized she couldn't live on her pension. She is trying to find work in a struggling job market. She stood at the back of the line Monday at the Salvation Army seeking help.

"It is virtually impossible to get a job at any age, but when you are older it is especially hard," she said.

The Community Coalition on Homelessness of Manatee County has no money to help those who have been evicted, said spokeswoman Sandy Jones.

"We can help with security deposits through funding from the county," Jones said. "But we can't help people with past-due rent."

Fifteen families facing eviction called the coalition last week, Jones said. Her only alternative was to refer them to the Salvation Army. But even then the Salvation Army can help only those families who have eviction notices for the current month, and they have to have children, Jones said.

"There is a real gap out there to help families without children or families who were evicted in past months," Jones said. "We all have restrictions on the funding we receive."

United Way 211 Manasota, the social services help line for Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties, handled a record 6,268 calls in September. The majority of callers needed help with rent, utility bills and food, said Ben Kunkel, director of communications and operations.

"It is heartbreaking," said Kunkel. "You can hear the embarrassment in their voice."

Jones says the community coalition expects the lines to grow longer in months to come.

"There are no jobs. This affects all of us," she said. "There but for the grace of God go I."