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Executive Director Mag Strittmatter's Blog

Recent Posts

Reality of the Times

Exactly two years ago, we began to experience a significant uptick in the number of neighbors coming to the Action Center for
services. We knew it to be summer-time, when kids are out of school and unable to benefit from the free/reduced meal programs via the school district. We have witnessed this phenomenon before, but this time something was different. The number surge was big enough to suggest that something unusual was descending upon us.

So, here we are, two years into the great recession. How is our community fairing? What has changed, what have we learned? As the state and county unemployment numbers continued to climb, we saw our numbers climb as well. With the local unemployment rate now hovering near 8.0 percent, it is clear that the reemergence of job opportunities has yet to occur.

Since 2008, we have experienced an increase of 40 percent in the number of service requests. Just last year alone, we had 16,000 unduplicated first-time consumers of our services. These are people who have never had to reach out and ask for help before.
They had experienced the loss of one or both jobs in their households, fell behind in their rent or mortgage and are now hanging on by a thread.

So, as we prepare for our August school supply distribution event, we are not sure just how large the numbers will be. We will prepare for as many as 5,000 children and hope that we have not underestimated the demand.

As the recession rolls on, there is now statistical evidence to let us know how our community is holding up. The Colorado Children’s Campaign / Kids Count survey released this spring revealed that poverty is growing at the fastest rates in the suburbs, with Jefferson County leading the way. The most stunning statistic is that there are 2,400 homeless kids attending Jeffco Public School.
These are children with parents, living in motels, in their cars or doubled or tripled up with friends in apartments. And to make matters worse, one out of every three children attending Jeffco Public Schools are now on the free or reduced lunch program. That’s up from one in four just a year ago. The number of children experiencing hunger is at an all-time high in the county. The drain from the recession is taking a toll on our community.

The good news is that, despite the difficult circumstances, our caring community has continued to rally behind and invest in the
services of the Action Center through donations of time, money and product. I thank you all for what you have done to soften the blow for so many in our county. As the recession ends and recovery begins, the Action Center will be here for any one in Jefferson County who needs us.

 

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The Real Victims of the Recession

At no other time in our history, with the exception of the great depression, has our nation’s economic balance been so shaken. Not unlike a 7.5 earthquake, the recession has caused damage with residual evidence that will be with us for years to come. This recession has impacted not only our nation but also our state, our county and our immediate communities. But when we zoom in closely, we see the real victims; our neighbors, and our most vulnerable.

I had no idea

Donnie worked as a pipefitter for seven years. In that time, he and his wife Lisa welcomed twin boys to their family. Last fall Donnie joined the ranks of the unemployed when his job was eliminated. He is a proud man and soon picked up odd jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over his family’s head. While working a day labor job in December, he injured his back and could not work for two months. Money ran out and so did the hope to stay in their home. Donnie and his family lost their apartment and had to move in with friends. The downward spiral continued into the new year.

Every day, the Action Center opens its doors to greet dozens of people with stories just like Donnie’s. These are people who wonder what they could have done differently. But it is at this moment when the Donnies of our community can take a deep breath and focus on the steps that can be taken to create a different future for themselves and their families.

I had no idea…

The unemployment rate in Colorado rose to 7.7 percent in March; a stark reminder that the grasp of the recession is still providing a chilling effect on our recovery prospects. What does this outlook mean to our ability to turn a corner and move ahead? No one can really answer this with any certainty. But in the meantime, much can be done to provide support to those who are hoping to shake off recent loses and move forward.

When neighbors walk through our front doors each day, they are greeted with a reassuring smile by staff and volunteers alike. This is the place where intervention, prevention and connection begin. Counselors can walk people through what they need today (food, clothing, shelter) and help them consider other options going forward. For example, can we provide utility assistance to help keep them in their home? Is education part of this equation? In Donnie’s case, a certificate program at Red Rocks Community College just might be an option to introduce a new career path.

But the most important thing is that we are here to be that safe harbor in rough seas. For Donnie and so many others in similar situations, the Action Center is that place where lives, with their broken pieces, are put back together and where communities reshape themselves. This is our purpose, our mission.

I invite you to experience it for yourself. Come take a tour of our facilities and witness the transformation yourself. I promise you, when you leave you will say

…I had no idea.

 

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Continued Community Support Strengthens All of Us

As we said good-bye to 2009 and greeted the early weeks of 2010, we knew that there was much work ahead in order to remain accountable to our donors and clients alike. But these are not ordinary times. There is hope that the great recession is giving way to the great recovery process, but the fallout has impacted more individuals and families than ever imagined. In Colorado, economists are bracing for a long and protracted recovery, one that could take us several years into the next decade.

What does all of this mean to an agency like the Action Center? It means that we continue to look for ways to adapt and respond to meet our mission, which is to provide an immediate response to basic human needs while promoting pathways to self sufficiency. But we know that we can’t do it alone.

Over the past 41 years, we have been an integral part of the community and from the community we have been served by its tremendous resources; thousands of selfless volunteers, a dedicated staff, willing and inspired partners and a generous donor community that has provided the fuel to power the heart and soul of this agency. All are deeply committed to this mission and this community.

But as the cold winter months engulf us, the numbers coming to our doors continue to rise.  However, at the same time, we have experienced funding cuts. For example, our funding from Energy Outreach Colorado – designated for utility assistance – was cut in half for 2010. This means that we will only have resources to help half as many households as we did last year. The cruel reality is that there are now thousands of families in our community needing this resource because of the taxing results of the recession. In addition, having unrestricted operating dollars on hand is essential for us to meet our day-to-day needs. We have seen other funding sources decline as well, leaving me to ponder how to best serve our mission and our community.

If nothing else, we have 41 years of history and inspiration to be responsive and creative in continued and effective service delivery. We are committed to serving our Jefferson County neighbors who need us now more than ever.  With this knowledge and awareness, I call on you now to rally again for this community where we live and for which we love. 

As a community, we are the sum of all our parts. In 2010, we will need every part to help our community recover and become whole again.

Thank you for all you do to make this wish a reality.

 

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Firm footing, rock solid foundation, stability.

These are terms that are so essential in business. But right now, as our country, state and county churn in the current economic climate, they are ones that are elusive for so many businesses and/or non-profit organizations.

And the beat goes on…

Imagine how it must be for singles, couples and families in our community striving to survive this recession? More than 15 months ago the Action Center’s daily numbers began to swell. Last fiscal year, more than 11,000 unduplicated first-time consumers of our services found themselves here in search of some type of support. These people needed to find a place that was firm in its footing, with a rock solid foundation and stability that provides help, hope and dignity.

Thanks to you, we were able to offer help in the form of food, clothing, shelter, rental and/or utility assistance. We gave them the support they needed to withstand challenges associated with foreclosure, eviction or utility shutoff while they got themselves back on their feet.

But the beat goes on…

Just recently, we helped close to 3,800 children — from 1,600 families — with school supplies, keeping parents from having to decide between those supplies or food or rent or utilities. But for every one family we help, there continues to be two more standing behind them needing that caring hand-up as well. With the job market so tight, fewer dislocated workers are able to find re-employment in a timely manner. Unemployment in Jefferson County hit its highest mark in 22 years this spring, topping 7.6 percent.

So the beat goes on…

Right now, so many in our county are seeking the assistance needed to find a home or to maintain the one they have. In August, we averaged 208 households a day. With an average of three people per household, our services touched the lives of 600 people each day.

We know that the fall and winter months will bring even more to our door.

When they come, they are looking for an outpost that has a firm footing, a rock solid foundation and stability. That place is Jeffco Action Center. I want it to remain that place for months and years to come, long after this recession has melted into memory.

As we continue to work together, it will remain so. Thank you for investing in this foundation and helping to keep it firm and strong.

 

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Stay the Course

At Jeffco Action Center, staying the course doesn’t mean standing still. Here, it means committed resilience to push forward in bold and daring directions. It’s a habit actually, one taught by our founders in the late 1960’s. No matter what, no matter how, recognize what is going on around you and take the action necessary to improve the lives of our neighbors.

In July of 2008, the daily line of clients waiting out front of the Action Center gave us an indication that we were living in very extraordinary times. We were well aware that “something” was going on in our community. We later learned that our entire region, state and nation were mired in an economic slowdown of the likes our country hasn’t witnessed in generations.

By September, those long lines had become a matter of daily course. By December, we were running daily averages of over 200 households a day coming to us for one or more of our services. That trend continued into the new year. Even over the past three months, we served an increase of between 15-35 percent more clients than the same months in 2008.

As the months roll by and the effects of the recession become clearer, we are more committed than ever to serving the needs of our neighbors. Never before in our 41 year history have the services of this organization been needed more. Now is not the time for small thinking or small actions. We have a responsibility to step up and be present when called upon; to feed, to clothe and to shelter as many people as we possibly can while also leading others through our intervention, prevention and connection programs towards the goal of self-sufficiency.

So many of you opened your hearts and wallets over the past year and provided gifts of time, cash and goods that allowed us to be bold in our being. Thank you for this—we are forever grateful knowing that we live in a caring and generous community; one that walks its walk. Now, we continue on—we stay the course, boldly and firmly. And we will all walk through this together, no matter how long, how dark or uncertain it may all seem. This is called being on purpose. This is what community truly means. In 1968, our founders were faced with difficult times and trying circumstances. But just imagine where our community would be today if they decided then that the efforts were just not worth it?

On another note, I want to acknowledge someone who helped redefine the course of the Action Center for the past six years — Cathy Hatfield, Director of Operations. Cathy retired from the Action Center at the end of June. Cathy’s dedication and impact on this agency can not be understated. As a seasoned professional, Cathy helped to take the organization to a new level of performance — just as the needs in our community grew considerably. As a result of her efforts, the Action Center is more efficient and effective in how it serves those needs. I know that Pam McPhee —our new Director of Operations — will help us move further forward, I will always hold the works and efforts of Cathy in highest regards.

Thanks Cathy.

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Spring at the Action Center

With spring’s arrival, the word growth has many positive connotations—growth of flowers, plants, grass and crops. In this specific financial timeframe, however, growth has other connotations as well: the growth in the number of individuals, couples and families seeking our assistance each day; the growth in the amount of resources needed to productively assist those who are hungry, homeless or “on the edge.” In the first quarter of 2009, we have seen an increase of 25 percent in the number of people coming to the Center seeking assistance, of which, 12 percent are first-time users of our services.

At the same time, there is also growth in the number of volunteers and donors working together with the Action Center to make a difference in our community. This may appear to be a “bleak and troubling time” but it has also been an amazing time for the rebirth of community spirit and remarkable growth in unselfishness! We have heard from record number of people who call and want to get involved to be of service. Daily, we have more than 70 volunteers giving their time to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors.

We receive more than 40 food pick-ups weekly from local restaurants, grocery stores, schools, churches and other food vendors who have surplus and wish to share with our hungry Jefferson County residents through our food bank. Our financial donations have remained steady—even during a time when we typically see a seasonal dip.

But the Action Center has also been actively seeking ways to work more collaboratively with other agencies to better serve those falling between the cracks, as the cracks grow wider and deeper. We have found that public-private partnerships have been very productive with our work with Jefferson County Human Services. As a result, we are able to connect clients to county services more effectively and efficiently and have directly kept more than one hundred families from facing homelessness because of eviction in the past six months. Because of our work with generous direct-service funders, we have been able to see that hundreds of other families do not lose their heat or ability to light their homes because of utility shutoffs.

This is an agency born of the “can-do” principle. So, I call on everyone in our community to consider how we could all work productively together to overcome these circumstances. This is a time of growth in the embrace of community spirit, and you are all invited to participate!