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Where to Give: Charity Donations Down
November 24, 2009 - 10:55 AM | by: Ruth Ravve
At the Greater Chicago Food Depository, trucks are arriving loaded with food for delivery. The enormous warehouse shelves are packed with things like rice, flour and canned goods. The Depository provides food for over 600 different food pantries, typically feeding about 500,000 needy people a year.
But Depository director Kate Maehr is worried. This year, with the economy suffering, donations are down, yet the need is greater. As people lose their jobs, they worry about day-to-day living, so money for charity is often dropped from their budget.
That problem is compounded by the fact that there are more mouths to feed, with people who were once donors now seeking help from food banks for basic necessities. Darren Mullin, who was laid off as a contractor last year, says he never thought he'd be going to a food pantry to feed his family, but, he says, he had no choice. He's one of dozens lining up at places like Catholic Charities Casa Catalina, where Thanksgiving bags, filled with a turkey, a ham and all the trimmings, are being handed out by the dozens, to people who say if it weren't for the charity, the table would be bare.
Many seeking help say they've never needed charity in the past. "It's about 23-percent over last year at this time, and when we look back over 2 years, it's close to a 70-percent increase in the number of people needing food" says Maehr
The holiday season is a crucial time of year for charities, as they take in about 40% of their yearly budget. Salvation Army lieutenant colonel David Grindle says they've already seen a drop of about 14% this year, and they worry that number will increase.
"Every unit across the United States is looking at every avenue to increase giving because they're actually lining up at our doors," Grindle told Fox News.
Charity leaders hope that making the public aware of their plight will actually increase donations. "In past financial downturns, actually Salvation Army income increased significantly because people knew that if they were struggling that the people at the low end of the economic ladder were in more difficult financial straits" says Grindle. With so many charities in need, many who have spare change this year are wondering where to give.
One website, charitynavigator.org, has information for researching donation sites.
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