Local Charities Face Tough Times Aiding the Needy

Danville Register & Bee
Published: April 3, 2008

As increasing numbers of Danville residents are choosing between filling their gas tanks and filling their bellies, local charity organizations are working overtime.
“So far this year we have served 588 more boxes of food than we did in the first three months of last year,” Becky Wales of God’s Storehouse said. “So that’s a big increase … considering the fact that last year was the busiest we had in our 20-year history.”
By the end of March, God’s Storehouse had handed out 5,351 boxes of food. One box serves one household, which averages about 3.3 people, said Wales.
Those numbers represent a trend. The number of people needing support “has increased this year,”Larry Campbell, a pastor at Bible Way World Wide Church on Grant Street, said. “It has definitely increased.
“With the higher prices of gasoline and utilities, we have people who are working — even people who are working — come for assistance. Many are choosing between buying food, buying medicine and utilities.”
Campbell said while in the past the church has handed out 40 or 50 bags of food per day, three times a week, recently they have been giving 70 or 75 bags per day. One bag typically serves one family.
Of course, organizations like these rely on donations, which tend to dwindle as everyone has to tighten their purse strings.
Mark Stegall, president and CEO of Goodwill, noted last week that his organization has seen a slight drop in donations.
“I think in our economy (with) not as many people working, people just aren’t giving that much,” he said. “It’s hard to get in the giving mode when you’re unemployed.”
Wales said that some past donors are now extending their hands in the other direction.
“We have seen people who have donated (in the past) come to us for help. Especially the Dan River people,” Wales said. “We do worry that we’ll be able to meet this increased demand.”
She added that some of their partner organizations, such as the food bank in Roanoke, have also seen a decrease in donations, which directly affects the StoreHouse.
“We’re dependent on people in the community to provide what we need to provide for people in our area,” Wales said.
Campbell echoed that community support is crucial.
“We are very thankful for the community for how they are able to assist us for those who are in need,” he said.
“We have been very blessed as far as money donations because the people that can give realize that a lot of people that used to give can’t anymore,” Wales said. “But it doesn’t take very long for us to go through what little bit of excess that we have.”