In The News

Foundation launches new initiative, funnels money to local programs.

Sunday News
March 22, 2009

By JON RUTTER, Sunday News Staff Writer
jrutter@lnpnews.com

People who had never been homeless are now struggling to keep a roof over their heads.

People who had never walked into a food bank are scanning the shelves for basic necessities.

Lancaster charities say a spike in emergency food and shelter requests is threatening to overwhelm them.

Now, the Lancaster County Community Foundation is easing the burden with a new $500,000 Family Aid initiative.

Half the money will be distributed to nonprofits through a competitive grant program that kicks off this spring.

In the meantime, said President and Chief Executive Samuel J. Bressi, the foundation will partner with four local agencies to immediately channel $250,000 into the hands of families who have been suddenly impacted by wage or job loss.

The Community Action Program's rental assistance program and the Water Street Rescue Mission's temporary family shelter will get $100,000 each, according to Bressi.

The rest of the money will be split between Tabor Community Services, which will establish a microloan program to help cash-strapped renters avoid eviction, and the Lancaster County Council of Churches, which will extend the hours for its clothing and food bank.

The short-term, targeted aid initiative is a big departure for the foundation, which is known for its funding of arts projects and other long-range community-betterment endeavors.

But the situation is unprecedented, the need for Family Aid compelling.

"It's a stopgap measure," Bressi cautioned. "We don't have the resources, necessarily, to fix the problem."

People in the bubble
Nor does anyone know how big the problem will get, said Phil Wenger, president of the foundation board.

"We have some money set aside so if this gets worse we will come back and add to this money," Wenger said.

The picture has rapidly grown grim.

The number of Water Street Rescue Mission residents reporting first-time homelessness rose 20 percent — more than 140 people — from 2007 to 2008, spokeswoman Maria Schaczenberger said.

Tabor Community Services has taken on 25 new rental counseling clients in the past six months, said President Bob Thomas. Seven hundred inquiries have come in.

In recent months, said Scott Fischer, executive director of the Lancaster County Council of Churches, local social service agencies have seen cries for help increase 15 to 30 percent.

"There are a lot of people that are right on the edge that are working full time," Fischer said.

Family Aid is tailored to a new at-risk demographic that had been self-sufficient until the economy shrank, said Shanon Solava-Reid, the foundation's vice president of programs.

The aid money is focused on those "people in the bubble," not the chronic homeless, Wenger said.

The 85-year-old foundation studied a year of data from eight nonprofits before launching the initiative.

The board voted on the measure Wednesday.

"This is a pretty dramatic change for us," Wenger said. "But we felt the need in the community was so substantial at this point that we couldn't shut our eyes."

The new program represents about a quarter of the $1.9 million in scholarships and donor-designated funding the foundation plans to allocate this year.

It also makes up nearly half the organization's discretionary money, according to Wenger.

"It's basically grants that we would have given to nonprofits" to support strategic planning missions, he said.

Well-diversified investments and generous donors are enabling the foundation to offer Family Aid, according to Bressi, who said the organization's portfolio was down about 23 percent at the end of last year.

The foundation will continue to meet its arts funding commitments, Bressi added. "We can't throw out our long-range plans."

Still, human pain is drawing much of the attention now.

Family Aid money promises to be an important supplement to government aid, said Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray. "It sounds like a good idea."

Thomas said funding for the microloan program will reap benefits for Tabor clients for years because awardees will be asked to eventually pay back the money.

"We're thrilled to be getting this kind of assistance," Thomas added.

At the Council of Churches food and clothing bank, 344 N. Marshall St., Fischer said, "We're going to roll out some extended evening hours" beginning in May and explore other ways to increase people's access to welfare programs.

Proposals for phase two of Family Aid will be accepted until May 6, Bressi said. Money will be given out in late summer and fall.

The foundation and its partners will track the impact of the program and continue to monitor residents' needs, Bressi said.

"I'm really proud that this organization has the capacity, the will and the ability to turn on a dime.

"This is the best way we know to help."