Charitable entities see growing need, shrinking support

As Ozarks families face rising costs and tighter finances, Bart Brown expects that more people will have to reach out for help with basic needs such as food.

Brown, executive director of the Ozarks Food Harvest, which serves 29 counties, said asking for help will likely be a new experience for many of those who reach out to his organization in the coming months. That was the case for a woman who visited the food bank recently.

"She looked at me (and) kind of laughed and she said, 'Well, you know, we're kind of nouveau poor,'" Brown said. "Really, that kind of stuck with me. We are going to see a lot of people who are newly poor, and they're going to need a lot of education and a lot of help."

Brown reported a 30 percent increase in need from December 2007 to December 2008 for Ozarks Food Harvest, which saw about 53,500 people in 2008 at the 350 agencies it serves, up from 43,000 the previous year.

The food bank has a six-month plan with several changes, including increased food distribution, new delivery routes and new infrastructure to track the food.

"We are the national pilot for a retail grocery pick-up plan with Walmart stores. This is a whole new way of getting food that would otherwise be thrown away," Brown said.

Started in November, the program allows the food bank to pick up short-dated products from local Walmart supercenters. Volunteers sort through the product before it's distributed to agencies.

"The exciting thing about Springfield being the national pilot is that this program will connect every supercenter in the country with all 220 Feeding America food banks," he said, noting that there is a similar pilot program with Dillon's.

Beyond feeding the hungry, the economic pinch is squeezing other nonprofits as well, particularly as conditions drive up need and cause supporters to pull back.

Community Foundation of the Ozarks President/CEO Gary Funk advises nonprofits to focus on their mission and convey that mission - and the need - to existing and new donors.

"Even in this economy, there are a lot people who could give more than they do," he said.

Nonprofits are also encouraged to discuss charitable planned giving, whereby significant gifts are given to charities upon a donor's death.

"This is one thing in this type of economy that can still be done," he said, noting that several organizations depend on charitable planned giving to build up their endowment funds.

At United Way of the Ozarks, which supports 23 health and human services agencies, no new agency officials are being considered for this year, according to President and CEO Jennifer Kennally. In 2008, United Way raised 98 percent of its $3.5 million annual campaign goal.

"Right now, we just want to make sure that we can do as much as we can to the campaign and continue to fund our current programs and agencies," she said.

Work has already begun on the 2009 campaign, led by chairman Maurice Henry of Associated Wholesale Grocers.[[In-content Ad]]