Brian's Blog

The number of new people coming for the food pantry and our other emergency assistance services grew significantly from 2008-2009. 1300 of the 24 hundred total people (54%) were new to Dutchess Outreach.

During that same period, after a slight dip from 2007 to 2008, requests for financial assistance in 2009 grew by more than 25%; from 515 to 655. Our other service categories did not show a similar surge, so we may predict that the increase in new people is related to emergency financial need.

The “new” trend continues in 2010. In the first 8.5 months of this year over half of the 1822 households helped were looking for our services for the first time. And we have already had 484 requests for emergency financial assistance. This puts us on track to pass 2009 by another 4.5%.

Emergency financial assistance grants for individuals increased from 50 to 60 thousand in 2008 from 2007, and held steady during 2009. Already this year, by mid September we have met the 60 thousand mark. 70 thousand or more is projected by the end of 2010.

We have been able to meet increased demand for financial assistance since 2008 due to additional sources of restricted revenue. FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds increased significantly during this period due to the federal stimulus program’s support. United Way of Dutchess County, although withdrawing operations support, provided pass-through grants of 10 and 25 thousand dollars during 2009 and 2010 from their Basic Needs initiative. Although reduced by 50% in 2010, (a trend, unfortunately, likely to continue ) continuing support from the DC DSS for funds to purchase medication made it possible to meet the growing demand of uninsured people with prescriptions they cannot afford.

As you can see demand at our emergency food pantry has basically followed the economic downturn; from a low of 1400 people in the first quarter of 2007, and 4000 people served all year, to more than 1700 people in the last quarters of 2008 and 2009, with 4,247 people helped overall in 2009.

In response we have had to develop additional resources, primarily a few restricted grants; each between 5 and 10 thousand dollars, to purchase food from the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. We have developed a regular schedule of food appeals in partnership with some local businesses, faith based groups, schools, and civic organizations. We have focused those appeals on particular items most frequently in short supply on the food pantry shelves. It is not a rare thing to find our shelves pretty bare by each month’s end. It is our greatest and on-going challenge to maintain the capacity to accommodate our policy of walk-in, on-demand service.

It is difficult to predict the unduplicated number of people who will benefit from our food pantry by this year’s end. However, we can look at the number of meals and, at this year’s rate of distribution; it may be, thankfully, (and I know it’s heresy to say) that the food pantry use is slowing down slightly.

Emergency Financial assistance, however, as noted above is another story. The fastest rising category is assistance to prevent termination or restore utility service. We have already nearly doubled this year the amount paid out in previous years. And that is for those we are able to assist. For many the hole is too deep. People are coming in with huge utility arrears, 2, 3, and four thousand dollars in some cases; and there is little we can do with our limited and often restricted funds. The cause in most cases is reduced earnings unable to keep pace with increasing costs, or some unexpected large expense that severely depletes household income.