GILROY
– When a business or organization sees an increasing amount of
people coming through its doors, it’s usually a good sign – but not
when that organization is the St. Joseph’s Family Center.
GILROY – When a business or organization sees an increasing amount of people coming through its doors, it’s usually a good sign – but not when that organization is the St. Joseph’s Family Center.
“I know there are a lot of other agencies in the same situation we are, feeling the effects of the belt-tightening going on due to the economy,” said David Cox, director of the Gilroy nonprofit organization St. Joseph’s. “For us it’s a double-whammy when the economy turns sour: More people come to our door for help, but at the same time we are getting less donations because people can’t afford it.”
As St. Joseph’s prepares for its annual Thanksgiving Day meal for the homeless and low-income families in the city, the sting of the area’s economic turmoil has never hurt so badly.
To maintain its charitable tradition of providing a “Turkey Day” meal with “all the fixings” to needy families in the area, St. Joseph’s estimates it needs 650 turkeys.
On Monday the organization had less than 10, although by Thursday afternoon the number jumped to nearly 400 thanks to a large donation by a local business.
“Earlier this week we were very scared,” said Jacqui Merriman, the food distribution coordinator at St. Joseph’s. “Compared to last year at this time, we are still behind a ways, but I’ve gotten enough commitments from people and businesses where I think we’ll end up on pace to feed everyone.”
For St. Joseph’s, this year’s pace is more strenuous than ever before.
Volunteers of St. Joseph’s, 7950 Church St., plan to deliver packages of edible comfort to more than 500 low-income families and seniors in Gilroy. The packages include full-size turkeys, milk, bread, canned goods and plenty of other stomach fillers for Thanksgiving. St. Joseph’s also will hold its annual Thanksgiving Day meal at at noon Thursda at the Lord’s Table in the St. Mary School Gym, 111 First St. Last year more than 200 people attended the meal.
“We are getting a lot of people coming here for the first time this year, people who have never had to go to a social service for help before,” said Cox, whose organization provides needy families with groceries and other charitable items year round. Cox said there has been a 20 percent increase in families applying for St. Joseph’s food assistance program during the last year.
“So far we have not had to turn anyone down, but we need to stay cautious,” he said. “The economy dictates need.”
Realizing that increased need for charity, an optimistic group of local Boy Scouts put on their best good Samaritan gear to help St. Joseph’s and Gilroy’s less fortunate, and now even they are realizing the desperation of the times.
Gilroy Troop 708 organized to hand out 75 fliers to the community asking for donations of food to help St. Joseph’s meet its food-drive goals. But instead of charity, Troop 708 learned about apathy, collecting only two bags of food last Saturday on the scheduled pick-up day from the affluent Gilroy neighborhood where the flyers were distributed.
“We hit 30 homes door-to-door and got one can of soup,” said Mark McGarry, the assistant scoutmaster of the troop. “The kids were very disappointed. Last year we did a lot better. … I don’t know if it’s the economy or if people just don’t care.”
But the community can’t be blamed for current lack of resources, Cox said, pointing out that the constant charity of several Gilroy businesses and community members is what has made St. Joseph’s so successful through the years.
“We are lucky to be in such a giving community,” he said.
Howver, even a giving community may not be able overcome some of the most turbulent economic times in recent history.
The majority of the people who utilize St. Joseph’s either work in the service industry in hotels and restaurants or in the fields, so they are the first people to be laid off or have their hours reduced when the economy gets bad. And with winter on its way, field workers can’t find work and the cooler weather pushes up costly utility bills, Cox said. So with no economic relief in sight, St. Joseph’s will continue to fight the odds to help feed Gilroy’s hungry families.
“Anything left over (from Thanksgiving) can be used for Christmas and the weeks in between,” Cox said. “We can never have too much food donated; there are too many hungry people.”
LEND A HAND
Salvation Army
• The Salvation Army needs volunteers for the Thanksgiving season. Thursday, volunteers are needed for decorating, cooking, serving and hosting community dinners in Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill. Volunteers also are needed for packing food boxes for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Details: 842-6745.
St. Joseph’s Family Center
• St. Joseph’s needs turkeys, fresh or canned fruit and vegetables and other non-perishable goods. The center’s housing program begins Dec. 2, so it also is looking for cooking utensils, bed sheets, and other home furnishings for low-income families who will be housed for the winter months.
Details: 842-6662.
Other ways to lend a hand over the holidays can be found in the Lifestyles section.
