The “new poor” and the “old poor” were the overriding topic of a meeting of the Colorado Nonprofit Association on Wednesday in Denver.
There, the nonprofit members — who help people who are elderly, homeless, jobless and victims of domestic violence — talked about the economic crisis, the downturn in charitable giving and the astronomic rise in those seeking assistance.
Rich Audsley, executive director of Mile High United Way, said calls to the organization’s 2-1-1 help line are up 20 percent over this time last year. The line is for people who need housing, food, clothing and other assistance.
Of the calls coming in, 67 percent of the callers say they are unemployed and 64 percent say they have an annual income under $10,000.
Audsley said that of people calling in for housing assistance, 70 percent say they are calling for the first time.
“The reality is that there are thousands of people in our community right now in a deep valley of struggle. Many of them are asking for help for the first time,” Audsley said.
Audsley said that Mile High United Way follows up with callers to the 2-1-1 line. Last year, he said, 60 percent of those who called the line found assistance, but this year, only 20 percent have done so.
Michael Seltzer, a former member of The Ford Foundation and one of the nation’s top nonprofit advisers, told the group that the country hasn’t sufficiently taken care of the “old poor” and now is faced with a wave of the “new poor.”
Sharon Knight, interim president and chief executive of the Colorado Nonprofit Association, said although there has been a decrease in charitable giving, many people plan to continue giving.
Knight said that a telephone survey of 1,200 people throughout Colorado between Oct. 14 and Oct. 30, showed that more than half of those surveyed said they either would not change their giving patterns or would give more.
“Coloradans believe in the importance of nonprofits in making our communities better places to live, and they think that we all — individuals and businesses — play a role in supporting them,” she said.
Anecdotal evidence of the harsh economic impact included a Grand Junction food bank that was “overwhelmed” by requests from 1,886 clients; the Pueblo domestic-violence shelter that has seen twice as many women and their children as it did last year; and the Salvation Army program in Glenwood Springs that has seen a huge jump in demand.
Leslie Foster is president and chief executive of The Gathering Place, which helps women who are homeless and facing poverty.
Foster told of a woman who worked as a flight attendant earning $60,000 a year. But on Tuesday, she walked into The Gathering Place after losing her job, then her condominium.
She needed $150 to travel to Texas, where she had family and a support system. On Wednesday, she was on her way to Texas, Foster said.
Audsley of Mile High United Way said donations to that organization are about the same as at this time last year. But, because of the recession, the need is much higher.
He added, “If people are in a position to help, this is a really important year to do more.”
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
