It has undoubtedly been a long, hot, dry summer and for many people the drought went beyond the weather.
In both June and July the Good Samaritan Ministries saw 985 and 987 families respectively and the numbers for August have soared past 1,000.
“Last year it was November before we saw more than 1,000 families,” said Angelia Bostick, Executive Director of GSM. “In fact, the number of families didn’t even exceed the 800’s until November either.”
Of the 1,023 families who came to the Food Pantry in August, 69 of those had never been before. In July there were 67 new families, and in June there were 57. New families are those who have either never come before or whose records aren’t in our current system which spans about seven years.
But the needs went beyond grocery staples. August set record numbers in the number of people who received assistance with electric and water bills, rent and medical needs. Of the 104 families who received aid, 65 had never asked for help before and the remaining 39 had not received assistance in more than two years.
“Families can only pick up groceries every 30 days and can only receive assistance with utilities once every two years,” Bostick said. “We intend for the help we offer to be a hand up when you’ve tried everything you know to do and still need a little help. Some of the stories we’re hearing include everything from job losses or cut hours to having to choose between paying a higher than normal electric bill or buying groceries. It’s not always a cut and dry choice, and it’s not always the result of bad decisions.”
With the upcoming holiday season and an already struggling economy, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of the numbers doing anything but increasing. However, while the needs are steadily increasing, giving to the ministry has been steadily decreasing.
Good Samaritan Ministries is open year-round, assisting people with food, rent, utilities and medical needs. The ministry also offers a store where good, used clothing, shoes, bedding and house wares can be purchased for extremely discounted prices.
“We operate entirely from donations and grants so we can help people when they need it most,” Bostick said, “Unfortunately, there’s no rhyme, reason or predictability to when people need help. We can’t just schedule it around the holiday seasons when it feels good to give or when there is more of a focus on giving.”
With school back in session, GSM is getting things in order to begin its Food for Thought program providing chronically hungry students with sacks of food over the weekends during the school year when no other food source may be available. Then in October, things are gearing up for The Deer Project, a program that pairs local hunters and processors to provide a source of lean protein to friends and neighbors who have fallen on hard times.
In December, GSM provides boxes of food filled with ingredients needed for a traditional Christmas dinner in addition to the regular grocery staples given that month.
Unpainted ceramic bowls will be ordered before the end of the year so that various groups can begin painting them for the Empty Bowls project which will be held in March. March and April also marks the Feinstein Challenge: March Against Hunger Campaign.
This year, through a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, GSM will be able to continue the Food for Thought program on a smaller scale throughout the summer so efforts will begin in April or May to raise money for that.
“We hold fundraising opportunities year-round because we operate year-round,” Bostick said. “We need money to keep the lights on and the doors open so those who are in need will have a place to come and our churches will have an outreach center that effectively, cooperatively and collectively pools resources – both money and people – to carry out the mission of the church to present the Gospel in both word and deed to all people.”
In an effort to keep spending at a minimum and ensure that every penny donated goes directly to the ministry of GSM, some changes have been made to the fundraising approach.
The organization has cancelled plans for the Cow Pasture Golf and Sporting Clays that had been held the past two years to raise money for The Deer Project and The Old Tyme Country Fair held for the past two years just as a way to say ‘thank you’ to the community.
Bostick said they are changing their approach to fundraising.
“Last year we spent almost half of the money we raised with the Cow Pasture Golf and Sporting Clays event to cover the cost of the event,” Bostick said. “With the needs increasing at such a rate, it just didn’t make sense to spend money to throw ourselves a party when we could just go directly to our supporters and let 100 percent of their donations go directly to feeding the hungry. It’s just a better use for everyone’s time and resources.”
The same idea held true with the Old Tyme Country Fair. Bostick said they loved holding the fair and having an opportunity to do something for the community that has done so much for GSM, but times are hard and that money could better be used to take care of the needs of Brown County residents who have fallen on hard times.
For more information about GSM, its programs, services, projects, events and opportunities to volunteer or donate visit www.goodsambwd.org.
