Nonprofits are trying to do more with less
As funding decreases, supply chain problems continue to carry on
St. Vincent de Paul Place in Norwich serves 450 visitors a week through its food pantry. The lines are longer, extending down the steps outside of the building. New faces are appearing in the hallways. Shelves have empty spaces; the pantry might not have rice or pasta for up to six weeks at a time.
Nonprofits are experiencing a “perfect storm” as coronavirus pandemic funding decreases, supply chain issues persist and demand increases for their goods and services due to inflation. Unlike for-profit businesses, these organizations cannot adjust pricing to reflect higher operating costs.
St. Vincent de Paul Place has seen a 43% increase in food pantry sign-ups from last year. Food pantry manager Brian Burke said many new visitors are from middle-class households.
“I have people come in for the first time and say, ‘I can’t believe I have to come here,” Burke said. “There is a stigma about a food pantry that you have to be Skid Row or in poverty to be there, but that’s not the case.”
St. Vincent de Paul Place receives donations of “cosmetically challenged” produce from grocery stores and frozen meals from restaurants to minimize costs of supplies. Despite staff members’ creativity, staples such as peanut butter and baby food have dwindled because of recent recalls.
The nonprofit experienced a similar uptick in demand during the height of the pandemic but never paused services, which also include hot meals, medical services and showers. Donors increased funding to help the organization through the pandemic but funding returned to normal rates as pandemic conditions improved.
Now, many donors are having difficulty increasing their contributions because people at “every level” are impacted by inflation, according to St. Vincent de Paul Place Executive Director Jillian Corbin.
Dina Sears-Graves, executive director of Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Bank in New London, said people at many levels were impacted by the pandemic, which broke down stigmas surrounding community services. However, she sees that many people prefer to keep their anonymity when receiving assistance.
The food bank began drive-thru distributions during the pandemic and many visitors appreciated the anonymity of that option, she said. The food bank is continuing drive-thru events.
Sears-Graves also has noticed visitors appreciate having many food options even as supplies dwindle. “Just because people are struggling does not mean they lose their choice,” she said. “It’s about having dignity and ownership. I want people to feel as though they are grocery shopping without the price tag at the end.”
She said that before the pandemic, 33% of people in New London County struggled to meet basic needs; 10% of those people fell under the poverty line. She said nonprofits offer free services so people can afford to stay in a home and “stretch their dollar” in the most helpful way possible.
Increased fuel costs
Affordable housing options are decreasing as inflation increases, according to Catherine Zall, executive director of the New London Homeless Hospitality Center. She said many homeless people are worried about inflation’s longterm impact on affordable living costs.
Zall predicts rising living costs will lead to an increase in homelessness that the center is not equipped to handle. She also says inflation will make it more difficult for people to get out of homelessness.
Jacalyn Whittemore is staying at The Homeless Hospitality Center and having difficulty finding affordable housing as the market gets more competitive. She said, based on the finances she has available, she has been advised by the Homeless Hospitality Center to stay in a Board and Care, a type of housing where senior citizens give most of their Social Security checks to the program, which then provides a place to live, food and 24-hour staff assistance. These facilities are more affordable than other nursing home or assisted living options, but a lot of people don’t want to live there as there is not as much freedom and residents are living with other people.
“I’m in my 60s. I don’t want to die in a Board and Care or a nursing home,” Whittemore said. “I want to live the rest of my life — because I don’t have a lot left — and live in my own house.”
Zall said transportation is vital to the center because it makes visitors’ lives “fuller” when they have the freedom to get out of the facility. Center workers often drive to areas where people are camping or living in their cars to offer help. They also drive homeless people to doctor appointments, food stamp offices and support meetings.
But the center is having more difficulty running its outreach programs because of fuel costs, which have increased by 50% this year, she said.
With prices increasing at an alarming rate, nonprofits are stepping up their fundraising efforts.
Corbin, at St. Vincent de Paul Place, said the unpredictability of inflation keeps her “up at night.” She said it is hard to tell how many weeks, months or years nonprofits will be affected by inflation. However, she said, many nonprofits will focus on creative solutions and volunteer recruitment to maintain services to the public.
“We have to give less to more people,” she said. “But I want to say we would never turn anyone away.”