December 11, 2009
Ozanam Family Shelter suffering from financial storm
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
The operational cash reserves of the Ozanam Family Shelter in Evansville have reached a critical state, according to Deacon Kevin Bach, president of the shelter’s board of directors.
“We have a lot of need for goods, but cash is our biggest challenge,” Deacon Bach said in a telephone interview with the Message Dec. 8. Common sense says that we have to keep staff there to make sure that the residents are well cared for.”
Donations from religious groups and individuals have been the largest source of what is needed to operate. Parishes, the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Knights of Columbus have been among the contributors.
Individuals have been generous, but because of the economic climate, people have been understandably more conservative in their giving, Deacon Bach said. (Related: A Christmas wish list from Ozanam Shelter)
Government grants, also a significant part of operating funds, have been reduced or delayed this year — as government attention went to economic stimulus packages.
“The real irony is that we are caught right in the middle of this economic downturn at the time when we need to help the most,” Deacon Bach said.
At the beginning of 2009, the shelter had cash reserves enough to last six or more months — but then came smaller contributions, a mandated increase in minimum wage and the delay or reduction of government grants. September and October brought a lightning strike which damaged phones and computers. A furnace fan failed and a water heater had to be replaced.
It was “a perfect storm” of circumstances, Deacon Bach said. “No one could have anticipated this. It was unprecedented.”
The shelter will continue to operate, but, “if the shelter cannot find much needed donations by January 2010, the board will be asked to consider cost-cutting measures, including closing residential rooms and staff,” Deacon Bach said.
He is concerned about the impact of manufacturing layoffs in the community, but hopeful that contributions will increase as the economy begins to turn upward.
History of the shelter
Ozanam Family Shelter is a spin-off project of the St. Vincent De Paul Society, and the shelter maintains its traditional ties to that organization, with a majority of board members from Saint Vincent De Paul.
Ozanam’s mission is to main-tain the integrity of families who have stumbled into financial crisis.
The shelter began on the second floor of the Family Life Center at St. Anthony Church in Evansvllle, then added a second facility at the current location, a house at Read and Missouri streets. Contributions have made possible expansion of that facilitiy and the additon of a parking lot and a playground.
For a while, shelters continued at both locations, but the board realized that staffing two sites was not efficient.
The current shelter can house 17 families and 6 single women without children. Typically, only two or three rooms are available for newcomers.
The adults are provided with a case manager to help them become financially viable into the future, and the shelter keeps careful records so that its services cannot be abused by those who are not intending to improve their own situation.