Service clubs, nonprofits take hit due to canceled fundraisers, events
Feel like you’re going a little stir crazy?
For good reason: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, most of the region’s premier community events have been canceled. There are no big community celebrations to go to.
Worse yet, many of those big events were traditionally organized and operated by service clubs to raise money for various community causes. Charitable causes are taking a hit.
Yuba-sutter-colusa United Way
“As an organization that works with a large number of other nonprofits … it’s a very serious situation,” said Bob Harlan, executive director of Yuba-sutter-colusa United Way.
Harlan said there are two main issues concerning organizations – fundraising and providing services to people.
“A lot of nonprofits have events or they have just regular fundraising routines that may have gotten sidetracked,” Harlan said.
He said as for providing services, some organizations have had to close their offices due to restrictions and haven’t been able to host things like in-person classes or services – he said some have modified things by utilizing virtual platforms such as Zoom.
“For most organizations, they had to pull
back on providing services,” Harlan said.
The YSC United Way office, Harlan said, has had people working in the office during the ongoing pandemic, however, they were closed to the public for a time. Now, they are open to the public but require that people wear facial coverings and practice social distancing.
YSC United Way has had to cancel some of their events, including the annual Elegant Soiree Wine & Culinary Extravaganza and the annual Golden Autumn Wine Festival. Harlan said that caused them to lose a minimum of $65,000 initially.
Harlan said some sponsorships were sold prior to the cancellation of the Soiree and they were set to retain about $20,000 as donations from supporters.
He said others who were not able to make a donation said they would roll their sponsorship over to next year’s event.
The organization also wrote letters to contacts in the community and were able to raise funds that way.
Harlan said YSC United Way has also cut back on a number of expenses – effective Sept. 1, they will be moving their office to Marysville at a lower cost.
“The thing we have to look at is the fact that we don’t know when this is going to end, that’s the big issue,” Harlan said.
He said they had also been planning to start a new program that aims to help children get out of poverty this year – now the hope is to start it next year.
Harlan said they hope to have the next Elegant Soiree event in April 2021.
For more information on Yuba-sutter-colusa United Way, visit www. yscunitedway.org.
Regional Emergency Shelter Team
Nick Anderson, director of the Regional Emergency Shelter Team (REST), said the local nonprofit has seen some challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
REST provides coldweather shelter and meals to families and individuals experiencing homelessness in Yuba-sutter – the upcoming winter season runs Nov. 30 through April 3, 2021.
Anderson said the pandemic started at the end of this last season and they had several volunteers who could no longer help out because they were either within the at-risk population or had family members with underlying conditions.
“With everything going on, we just wanted to keep everybody safe,” Anderson said.
So that caused them to have a smaller volunteer group and REST relied more on its staff, which was more expensive.
They had also increased shelter hours to help people shelter in place as much as possible.
“We tried to do as much as we could to keep everybody healthy and safe,” Anderson said. “We’re not sure how things will work this season but we’re kind of having to plan for the possibility that our volunteer (group) might be lower.”
He said REST had to cancel a spring softball tournament fundraiser, which they had hoped would bring in about $5,000.
REST is still hosting its annual luau fundraiser – which Anderson said brought in about $30,000 last year – but it is being modified into a meal pick up event due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“We hope the luau will be real successful, we hope that even with modifying that, there will still be the support,” he said.
REST received some funds through the Sutter-yuba Homeless Consortium, Anderson said, to help pay for shelter costs and extra staff because they had money designated for COVID-19 relief.
He said they are also applying for some new grants to bring in some funds.
While they were facing challenges due to COVID-19, he said the last shelter season was successful – they saw several families transition into a more stable situation.
“We’re trying to provide more case management to people who stay in our shelters,” Anderson.
For more information on volunteering and donating to REST, visit www. restyubacity.org.
Kiwanis Club of Marysville
Brynda Stranix, treasurer of the Kiwanis Club of Marysville, said both of the club’s major fundraising events – Mardi Gras and Hogs and Hulas – were canceled this year.
“Which is going to put a dent in our community giving of about $50,000, which is what we’re usually able to do,” Stranix said. “... For us and our club, we’re really missing each other, our club members.”
She said, however, that they weren’t able to do some of the things that they would participate in – the club’s annual fishing derby and pancake breakfasts, were also canceled.
“We can’t do (the events) even if we had the funds,” Stranix said.
She said, however, the club also has a reserve, but they’re hoping that they can host the fundraisers next year.
The club also gives to high school scholarships, gives to the community during the holiday season and more.
Stranix said the club also accepts donations and they can be made by contacting her at 713-3375.
Kiwanis Club of Yuba City
Sondra Harrison Mallow, president of the Kiwanis Club of Yuba City, said the cancellation and the need to modify fundraisers and events due to COVID-19 could affect how much the club is able to contribute to things like youth scholarship opportunities and local groups and projects next year.
Normally, the club commits about $30,000 that goes back into the community through Key
Club scholarships and support, Casa de Esperanza, the Shady Creek Foundation and more.
Harrison Mallow said the club had to cancel its annual Crab Feed earlier this year, which meant that the club lost around $6,000, and ticket sales for the upcoming drive-through Lobster Feed/ Cajun Sausage Boil have been low so far.
The upcoming event is a combination of the club’s annual Lobster Feed and Cajun Sausage Boil fundraisers and has been modified into a drivethrough event due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“The money we raise this year affects our ability to help our community next year,” Harrison Mallow said.
She said, however, they’re hoping people will buy tickets for the Lobster Feed/ Cajun Sausage Boil.
The club, she said, is also looking for new members – those who are interested can contact any Kiwanian or visit the Kiwanis Club of Yuba City Facebook page.
Early Risers-kiwanis Club of Yuba City
Tom Walther, a board member of the Early RisersKiwanis Club of Yuba City, said they had to cancel their Blues, Brews and BBQ fundraiser, which usually nets the club about $40,000.
But they hope to have their annual See’s Candy sale at the Yuba Sutter Marketplace, which usually raises about $12,000 for the club and begins in late November.
Walther said they typically give 10 $2,000 academic scholarships and some $1,000 vocational education scholarships, but this year since schools closed, they weren’t able to reach as many people so they gave less.
He said they also typically pay for a pizza party for students at a local school if they have perfect attendance for a month.
“Though we’re not making money, we’re not giving out as much either,” Walther said.
He said, however, during the pandemic, they were able to cook pancakes for some Yuba City schools during their drive-through meal pick up and participate in a few other activities.
Other programs the club supports include the Sutter High School rifle team, Kiwanis Family House, Shady Creek and more.
Walther said they welcome new members and once restrictions are lifted, the club meets Tuesdays at 6:45 a.m. at El Zarape Restaurant, 1005 Stafford Way, Yuba
City.
For more information, people can call Walther at 218-3847.
Soyoucan
Angie Gates, co-founder of Soyoucan, said the group’s annual fundraiser, the Dukes Memorial Golf Tournament, has been canceled this year due to COVID-19.
Each year, Soyoucan hosts a Christmas giveaway where they give food – such as turkey, ham and nonperishables – toys, stockings and more to about 250 families.
However, that giveaway may be in jeopardy due to their main fundraiser being canceled.
Gates said Soyoucan usually gets between
$5,000 and $7,000 from
the tournament and they’re trying to figure out different ways to replace it.
“We know this year there is going to be more need,” Gates said. “These children are out of school … so we want to make a joyous Christmas for them but we’re backed up against the wall.”
She said while the tournament is their main fundraiser, they also typically get money from other organizations and clubs but other groups are also struggling so they don’t know if they will receive those funds.
Gates said people can donate to Soyoucan at Bank of the Feather River, by reaching out through the Soyoucan Facebook page or by calling Gates at 415-0145.