Thread: NM-Nonprofits struggle to feed homeless

Nonprofits struggle to feed homeless

By Jason Gibbs Sun-News reporter
Article Launched: 06/02/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT


Click photo to enlargeChuck Viverette, assistant director of Gospel Rescue Mission,... (Sun-News photo by Shari Vialpando)«12»

LAS CRUCES — Four days, no coffee.

It may not sound like much of a hardship to many of us. But for those who serve food and provide shelter to the city's most needy, it's just a sign of the times.

This week, El Caldito soup kitchen had to put off purchasing the morning staple because it is too expensive. With a declining economy, more people are seeking help from the city's shelters, soup kitchens and food banks. And that same economic slump means fewer dollars and donations coming in to fill the shelves.

"Everybody knows the cost of food is going up, up, up," said Ruth Anderson, secretary of the El Caldito board of directors. "We have seen an increase in people who eat here in the last two months. It's gone way up" from about 160 a day on average to as many as 225 in recent weeks.

El Caldito isn't the only organization struggling with the summertime situation. During the hotter months, more fruits and vegetables are needed as well as meats of all kinds and non-perishable food items.

Because of Las Cruces' climate and the sagging national economy, more people are on the city's streets or hovering near homelessness, said Charles Viverette, assistant director of Gospel Rescue Mission. The mission serves roughly 6,000 people a month, providing food and shelter.
"A lot of things are changing right now," he said. "There's people in need ... we are so crowded now we are even having to open the kitchen up during the summer for extra bedding (space). That's never happened in the summer before."

Viverette said the mission has tripled the number of food boxes it is giving out over recent years. And all too often those boxes are going to families trying to make ends meet and care for children, he said.

"We have the food and we are going to give it out," he said. "But there are a lot more families. I don't know what's happening, but we are giving out more food."

Pamela Angell, executive director of Community of Hope, said donations from the public have been on a downward slide for about two years. Community of Hope has seen about a 30 percent decrease in donations from individuals and roughly 30 percent decrease from churches. Some grant money has been awarded, which is helping the situation, she said. But cash donations at the local level help match those funds and are more useful for day-to-day operations.

And summertime brings it's own needs as well as lower donations when compared with holiday generosity.

"Usually our best time (for donations) is between Thanksgiving and Christmas," she said. "It's when people start thinking about other people and giving. It's such a warm and fuzzy time for people. That time among our clients is happy and joyful in a way. But the hard times hit after the new year."


Jason Gibbs can be reached at jgibbs@lcsun-news.com

http://www.lcsun-news.com/news/ci_9449976

I am afraid it is going to get a lot worse folks

How many of these are illegals? New Mexico is part of the problem! Now they can't even take care of the American's. No doubt the illegals are over whelming their systems.
I have sympathy for the citizens there that tried to stop all the illegal immigration and fight their government. The rest are reaping their so-called 'rewards." So how's that working out for ya??
If anyone finds out different please post it. I'm curious about border states and how they are falling fast due to their stupidity and NOW expet government help. We will follow if we don't get someone to take a stand!

As with everything.....enough people abuse the system and people won't donate anymore. Like with welfare and all the other supposid freebies we offer.......people used to depend on it at LAST resort....for survival.....not as an expectation to fill in the gap for what they don't feel like paying for. I know in Florida, the illegals used the food pantries as a grocery store. Get what you can get for free and then see if you really need to bother going grocery shopping at all. They had a routien and went from church to church and pantry to pantry, week after week, as if it was the normal way of life.......while they drove off in their 50,000 truck filled to rim with donated food and dropped it off, to then go and spend their money on gold jewlery, fancy underware and beer. Sometimes taking the food to a flea market and selling it. If we all used those places like that, they would have ended long ago. These pantrys aren't a permenant subsidity to fill in the blank for low wages, or a means to live a better lifestyle......it's for temporary "need". The intent wasn't to see what you can get for free first and then dig into your pocket.....your pockets are supposed to be already empty. But then again.....maybe the rules have changed and people suffer needlessly because we were told differently and we don't have an organization that finds us and sends us information for every free entitlement out there and makes sure we get it. I mean if that's the way it works.....the government sees our IRS statements....they can send us pamplets telling us what all is out there for free and make sure we get it. Till then....people give what they can afford and when there's nothing extra, there's no donations.......and when people abused it, it leaves nothing extra for the times when people really NEED it. I feel for those who have donated their whole lives and then when they need it, they are turned away.