Up against an American economic crisis of epic proportions, St.
Joseph’s Family Center is conducting business as usual with one
exception: its arms are open wider than ever.
Up against an American economic crisis of epic proportions, St. Joseph’s Family Center is conducting business as usual with one exception: its arms are open wider than ever.
Last month, the center – which provides food, shelter, transportation and employment services to those in need – served more than 600 households, about 5 percent of the total number of households in Gilroy, Executive Director David Cox reported.
“We’re seeing a skyrocketing number of families seeking some sort of services, people who have never had to seek social services before,” Cox said. “The numbers are immense.”
David Sydnes has been unemployed for six months and said that, in all of his 60 years, he’s never had so much trouble finding work. Since jobs are scarce, he comes to the Lord’s Table, the hot meals program St. Joseph’s hosts on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings in the Saint Mary School gymnasium, for sustenance.
“It’s frustrating,” he said around a mouthful of pasta. “You want to give up sometimes but you can’t.”
Even collecting cans and bottles for recycling isn’t as lucrative an undertaking anymore since more and more people resort to scavenging to put a meal on the table or a roof over their heads, Sydnes said.
Though the demand for food, shelter and employment services is off the charts, the supply of donations and volunteers fueling the center’s food pantry and other programs continues to pour in, said Food Distribution Coordinator Vicki Martin, adding that not a day goes by when members of the community don’t drop by with donations of food or other supplies.
“There’s a sense of community in Gilroy that you don’t find in other places,” said Carol Bennett, a 5-year food pantry volunteer. “Whether the economy is up or down, this community responds with their hearts.”
Every day, the center distributes about 80 food baskets and lunches to families and homeless people – twice the volume it doled out in previous years, Martin said. Some days, she hands food out to 170 people.
“The need has increased tremendously,” Martin said. “But the community and grocery stores have really stepped up to the plate. We’re so happy we can meet the demand.”
Not only are companies and community members donating food, they’re donating their time, which is invaluable, Martin said. An army of volunteers keeps the pantry’s quickly emptying shelves stocked, the food fresh and the clients nourished. Though the food packages available to low-income families are a bit smaller than they were in more prosperous years, she said the center doesn’t want for volunteers.
“We are so full with volunteers right now, it’s incredible,” Martin said.
In fact, the center is seeing more people who have lost their jobs or had their hours cut coming in looking for a good cause to which they can donate their new found free time.
Some days Elaine Burce, another food pantry volunteer, stops to survey the pantry and crosses her fingers that the dwindling supply of food will last the rest of the day.
“Some day’s are pretty lean,” she said. “But I’m really impressed with Gilroy and the amount of support St. Joseph’s Family Center gets.”
The center’s food pantry isn’t the only department that’s bustling these days. Employment Services Coordinator Gustavo Alcantar said he’s swimming in resumes, job applications and appointments for career guidance. The dried-up job market makes it harder to place clients than ever before, he said.
“What I see is overwhelming, Alcantar said. “People are knocking on my door all day long.”
When Alcantar began working at St. Joseph’s six months ago, seven people were enrolled in the center’s intensive career guidance program. Now, Alcantar has files on 49 out-of-work community members searching fervently for a job.
“When the floodgates broke loose, it was maddening,” he said. With so many resumes piling up on his desk, Alcantar developed a master application that he hands out to prospective employees for them to use as a guide during the job hunt.
“People are living in their cars, in homeless encampments,” said St. Joseph’s Homeless Outreach Coordinator Marty Estrada. “We’re seeing a whole lot of new clients. There’s been an influx of more people – families I never would have expected to walk through my doors – who need our services, from food to help paying rent to people that are homeless.”
With the highest rate of homelessness per capita in Santa Clara County – 660 in Gilroy alone, according to the county’s 2007 homeless census and survey – Gilroy faces additional challenges, namely a lack of services in South County, Estrada said. A 30-mile drive to San Jose separates South County homeless from more extensive services and can be too far for some people, he said.
“The problem in Gilroy is that there aren’t a whole lot of service agencies compared to San Jose,” he said. “We have a lot of obstacles. But the challenge is what I live for. We make things happen.”
Kat Teraji, who sits on the St. Joseph’s Family Center board, said their aim is to cater to every person in need.
“Our goal is to not turn anyone away,” she said. “The pressure is definitely on.”
But with so many locals donating food and supplies, money and time, the center was forced to cut only one program recently – a shuttle that provided senior citizens with a ride to the pharmacy or grocery store, Teraji said.
On the bright side, the center’s annual St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser received more sponsors than ever this year, Teraji said.
Hesitant to breathe a sigh of relief every time the amount of donations spikes, Cox said one of the most difficult aspects of sustaining the level of service St. Joseph’s provides the community is the uncertainty.
“Many people are in a position that’s not in their control,” Cox said. “The loss of a home or job can mean disaster.”
Very rarely is the breakdown of a family’s finances the result of a singular event and seeking aid early can make all the difference, Cox said. Staff and volunteers acknowledged that asking a social services agency like St. Joseph’s for help can be a humbling experience, but a necessary one in order to survive.
“They’re the face of everybody in the community,” Bennett said of the families that turn to St. Joseph’s. “We’re all in this together.”
How you can help
contact St. Joseph’s Family Center
7950 Church Street
Suite A
Gilroy, CA 95020
David Cox at (408) 842-6662
www.stjosephsgilroy.org
