A big thanks to the Daily Herald for 12/9 story in support of Northwest Suburban United Way.
By Nadia Maik
The waiting list of the annual Mount Prospect Thanksgiving food baskets was longer than ever this year. After 50 families we put on the donation list in the hopes that donations would come through, the human services department stopped writing down names because they knew those needs couldn’t be served by their group.
The village turned to Northwest Suburban United Way, which managed to put together a large dinner the day before Thanksgiving for those who didn’t have enough to eat.
Mount Prospect was facing a problem that many service organizations – including United Way – are dealing with. Most people need help than before because of the foundering economy, but donations are dwindling as people are keeping a closer eye on their wallets.
“Families have make critical decisions now,” said Marcia McMahon, Chief Professional Officer of Northwest Suburban United Way. “We’re seeing more of these families accessing these services now.”
Throughout the suburbs United Way and agencies it helps have tried in various ways to prepare for a period of greater need and fewer donations and, at the same time they’ve begun to stress that donors can also help by giving time and expertise as well as money. Donors who are short on cash but full of enthusiasm are finding creative ways. In lieu of cash donations, others have donated their organization skills and held drives to collect everything from frozen meat to pillows.
Nancy Morgan, director of human services for the Village of Mount Prospect and its food pantry, said the staff began seeing the dramatic effects of the financial turndowns last April – with donations down by 50 percent compared to the previous April.
Requests for food, on the other hand, were up by 168 percent. And those demands were coming from unexpected areas, such a residents who once owned homes and had dual incomes.
“We are seeing people contact us who have never contacted us before,” Morgan said. “people are in absolute distress; they’re coming in for assistance and sobbing.”
Assistance agencies aren’t losing faith, however; in times of great stress, people who see what their neighbors are going through tend to step up and give what they can, leaders said.
In Arlington Heights, School District #25 a Ready for School Initiative went off without a hitch in Huly for students who partcipate in the reduced-lunch program. The United Way put no funding towards it, but those involved with the group brought their expertise of who to turn to for their needs.
The success was due to people spending time doing what they could, such as doctors volunteering time to do physicals.
“There’s a lot of things we can do with more manpower,” McMahon said. “People are very, very anxious to reach out.” In fact, United Way was started in Chicagoland in the wake of the Great Depression when a few who could give wanted to do what they could.
United Way is also focusing on educating people about issues and advocacy, encouraging those interested to write letters to legislators to free up government fundin. In those cases, people who want to help the needy don’t necessarily have to give money.
Daily Herald staff writer Jamie Soto noff contributed to this report.
