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Ample need
By JON WILSON
© St. Petersburg Times,
Social service agencies say the apparent recession and the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks have strained budgets, even as more needy people look for everything from their next meal to emergency rent payments. Old-guard organizations such as the St. Petersburg Free Clinic and the Salvation Army report huge increases in numbers of people requesting help, as do most other agencies in south Pinellas County. Times are tightening across the board. Tuesday morning, for example, 75 to 100 people were lined up even before the St. Giles Emergency Food Pantry in Pinellas Park opened. They were waiting to get some of about 200 Thanksgiving dinner gift certificates available. While people recently laid off or made homeless are calling every agency they can, the agencies themselves report that contributions have fallen off in recent months. Officials attribute the plunge to the economic slowdown or donations to victims of terrorism. Attendance at St. Vincent de Paul's fundraising banquet was down by about one-third this year, said executive director Ronda Russick. The Suncoast Haven of Rest Rescue Mission in Pinellas Park has yet to receive any Thanksgiving food donations, said the director, the Rev. Lionel Cabral. Usually, food starts coming in during October, he said. The situation is not yet a crisis, most agency leaders say. But they are worried enough to have called a series of emergency meetings so providers can devise ways to more efficiently deliver services. "We are all concerned," said Free Clinic director Jane Egbert. "What we don't know at this point is whether it's something that's going to continue ... or whether it might last for a short period of time. If it continues, it will be a very serious issue." Many of those seeking help have recently lost their jobs. The area's hospitality industry has been especially hard hit, agency officials say. "The biggest chunk of phone calls are from people who've never been served by us, or if they have, it's been many years," said Don Jones, social services director for the Salvation Army's St. Petersburg office. Many are people "not used to living on the edge," Egbert said. Here's a sampling of what social service agencies are saying: The St. Petersburg Free Clinic's We Help program, which provides emergency food and financial assistance, worked with 407 more people last month than it did in October 2000. The Salvation Army's St. Petersburg office reports as much as a 100 percent increase in the number of people calling or dropping by to ask about assistance. "There's much more business in the shelter as well," said Jones. The Haven of Rest Mission in Pinellas Park feeds 120 people daily, a 100 percent increase during the past two years, said Cabral. "People are eating in the waiting room," he said. Haven of Rest, which recently received an award for its work with the needy, also provides groceries for up to 3,000 families who are poor but have homes, and it distributes free bread to 20,000 to 30,000 people per month, Cabral said. He worries that the 13-year-old mission might have to close. "We're definitely in trouble," Cabral said. Daystar Life Center, which provides haircuts and medical prescriptions in addition to other services, reports 2,337 inquiries last month, compared to 1,875 in October 2000. St. Vincent de Paul's program to feed the needy served about 119,000 meals during fiscal year 2000. That jumped to about 170,000 for fiscal year 2001, though some of the increase was due to adding dinners this year. In addition, emergency assistance in September jumped 15 percent over September 2000; October's calls were up 30 percent over last year. United Methodist Cooperative Ministries are receiving 75 to 80 percent more calls for help than this time last year. "The majority are new, first-time people. Both families and single moms. They say, 'I've never done this before,' " said Donna Ratzlaff, the ministries' executive director. At Mount Zion Human Services, executive director George Smith said calls from people needing help to avoid mortgage foreclosures have jumped from a typical one per month to as many as four per week. King of Peace Metropolitan Church has seen a 50 percent increase in cases between September and October of this year, said Yolanda Giovannetti, head of the church's homeless outreach team. ASAP, which assists families and single mothers, reports a 25 percent increase in the number of people using its dropin center. "And we're turning away 10 to 15 requests for (emergency) shelter every day," said director Debbie Rowland. Pinellas County Social Services discontinued one of its two mobile medical teams serving the needy because county departments have had to cut back expenses. The Pinellas Opportunity Council, which provides emergency help with utilities, fuel oil and sometimes rent and mortgage payments, is using its $7,200 monthly allocation in just two weeks, said Frances Cato, community services director. She said 313 people seeking help had to be turned away in October. One of the methods officials are discussing to improve service delivery is more efficient communication. To that end, a centralized phone number is available. People who need help or who want to offer help can call 211 to get information or referrals. The number is the Pinellas Cares Inc. hotline. It was chosen for ease of access. Pinellas Cares also has a Web site -- www.211pinellas.org. Among other information, it contains a guide to holiday giving.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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