Foreclosure Times Badly Affecting Charitable Organizations

December 15th, 2008 | Tags: Foreclosure

In Yolo County foreclosure times are badly affecting charitable organizations. During this Christmas and New Year season the non-profit bodies are going strong but many families are cutting back on their spending and thus they are not being able to donate as much as they would like to.

Unemployment and foreclosure rates are increasing and this has led many non-profit organizations seeing a demand for their assistance going up but they are having problems matching this with the donations they get.

John Kilcoyne of the Woodland Salvation Army that there is still a steady flow of donations coming into their organization but the amounts are getting smaller and smaller than what it was before. He is happy that there are still many people who continue to be supportive. But the demand for help has gone up with more people losing their houses to foreclosure and also their jobs. This makes it impossible for the organization to see to the needs of everyone. Today 90% of those seeking help are those who have never stretched out their palms before the Salvation Army. There are a good number of families who are on the brink of foreclosure and despair.

In the renowned Red Kettle Campaign the Salvation Army puts out their volunteers in front of shops tinkling a bell and holding a red kettle while asking for alms. The Woodland group deals with a variety of services dealing in food, clothes and old toys. It also helps those families who are suddenly faced with bills and or foreclosure notices. The body does not have sponsors from the corporate world but many retail shops are permitting volunteers to campaign with kettles. Lately the body has become short even on volunteers.

Another group that is seeing bad days is the Red Cross at Woodland. Its director, Donna Neu said that a third of its budget is met from public donations. It also relies to some extent on business houses. Of late money coming in from both has decreased and is far less in comparison to previous years. Some corporate houses are giving but others are just promising to do so in the following year. Neu added, “Everybody is trying to keep positive about it.”

Community support is vital to the running of these non-profit organizations and how much they can do to help the needy. Without required funds their movements become cramped.