Charities worry pandemic may impact donations
As local nonprofits continue to provide meals for Lodi’s most vulnerable populations, an unspoken worry of “how long can we keep this up” gnaws at the leaders of the organizations as they are left to wonder where funding will come from in the age of coronavirus.
While nonprofit organizations rely primarily on donors to stay afloat, one large draw is fundraising events. From crab feeds, concerts and dinners, nonprofit organizers know how to keep people engaged. They need to have a community of employed and compassionate individuals ready to lend a helping hand.
With the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the country, states like California have responded with social distancing and crowd control. This has forced nonprofits and charitable organizations like the Salvation Army and Grace and Mercy in Lodi to cancel fundraising events meant to spur donations.
“We require $3,600 overhead per month to continue to offer the level of that we do for the people in this community,” Grace and Mercy founder Cheryl Francis said. “We have some consistent donors that have been donating food, but it will be interesting to see how what happens in the coming weeks.”
Salvation Army Maj. Mark Thielenhaus said that as a result of the virus and the recent statewide shelter-in-place announcement by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the organization has had to expand its resources to the homeless in need of a place to go during the day.
“We started offering lunch services on top of our dinner services and our meal packages,” Thielenhaus said.
He added that donations are a constant concern for the Salvation Army, especially after the organization struggled to end its last fiscal year in the black. Over the past year, the organization has had to get innovative with its fundraising efforts, which included implementing technology into its Red Kettle Drive and hosting concerts at local pubs.
While Francis and Thielenhaus believe food distribution will not be interrupted over the next couple of weeks due to stocked non-perishable goods on hand, they are watching their supplies closely.
“The expectation is that what we need will always come through. The Salvation Army has resources in place in the event we need to secure more items to carry out our services. The Army will always be available to people that rely on us,” Thielenhaus said. “We trust God will make up the difference. I mean yes, we are concerned, but we have faith.”
Francis echoed Thielenhaus’ comments, stating that since the pandemic spread to San Joaquin County, her nonprofit has not had to reduce the services it offers.
“Our freezers are still full and we have enough supplies to continue to offer hygiene kits to people that come into Grace and Mercy,” she said.
Despite currently having enough supplies on hand, Francis says she worries about having enough volunteers to assist with the volume of output she offers.
“We are now down to two volunteers, helping make hot meals and brown bag meals,” she said.
The majority of volunteers at Grace and Mercy are retirees (or older than 65) and because coronavirus can be fatal among the nation’s older population, many volunteers simply cannot help without jeopardizing their health.
As nonprofit leaders navigate these unconventional times, they are not feeling discouraged by current circumstances.
“We will get through this. I encourage people to be kind and to pray instead of panic,” Francis said.
To learn about the services offered at the Salvation Army and Grace and Mercy visit their websites at lodi.salvationarmy.org, gracenmercylodi.com. People interested in donating to them can do so on their websites.
“We trust God will make up the difference. I mean yes, we are concerned, but we have faith.”
— SALVATION ARMY MAJ. MARK THIELENHAUS