Community unites around residents in crisis
BOSTON – Determined not to let children, families and individuals go hungry, cold or without shelter this winter due to the rising costs of food, fuel and housing, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley is today launching a $2 million drive with an appeal to the public to provide emergency financial assistance for basic needs. Founding partners in the new Fund are Liberty Mutual and the Barr Foundation. A major goal of the Fund is to distribute $1 million by mid-November to initiatives and organizations throughout the region that are helping families in crisis this winter. Among the first investments of the Fund is a $300,000 commitment to the City of Boston’s Food + Fuel Campaign, which is holding a summit tomorrow at 9 a.m. at Madison Park High School in Roxbury.
“The urgency of this issue requires us to leverage our resources to deliver a swift response. We are working to immediately advance the valuable efforts of Mayor Menino and organize a robust community drive to deliver new resources throughout the region in time for the winter,” said Michael K. Durkin, president and chief executive officer at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. “No one should have to choose between feeding their children nutritious food and heating their home. We are launching this emergency fund to ensure that, for as many individuals and families as possible, that point of crisis never comes.”
“United Way has always been a tremendous partner to the City of Boston, and they are once again demonstrating their commitment to our families and children during this difficult economy,” Mayor Menino said. “We owe it to each other to make sure everyone stays warm and healthy this winter, and this $300,000 commitment will be a direct helping hand to those in need.”
The community response comes as the challenges facing families and individuals in the region continue to grow. An August 2008 report from UMASS Boston predicts Massachusetts residents who heat their homes with natural gas or oil could end up paying nearly $1 billion more this year than in 2007—a 30% increase. Prices for groceries, including basic staples, have risen sharply; milk prices have increased 21% over the past year and egg prices are up 35%. In March, 2008 the foreclosure rate hit a two-year high, rising 140% over the same period last year. All of the state's emergency shelter beds for families (2,400) are currently filled due to these economic pressures, forcing housing officials to resume the practice of sheltering 540 families in hotels and motels around the state.
Research shows that there is more at stake than the financial health of families and individuals. Children living in environments that are not properly heated or who do not receive adequate nutrition are at risk for poor health, developmental delays, behavioral and emotional challenges and increased emergency room-based medical care and hospitalizations.
One hundred percent of the funds raised by United Way for the Community Support Fund will be distributed as cash assistance to families and individuals who meet the Fund’s criteria. United Way will issue grants from the Fund to partner agencies able to assess the greatest need, act swiftly, and provide supportive services to complement the cash assistance. Partner agencies include Catholic Charities and Salvation Army, whose community outreach has statewide presence. United Way will also partner with CAP agencies in communities such as Lowell, Boston, and throughout the region. United Way will distribute the funds by November 15th, before the winter moratorium barring utility shut-offs takes effect. Additional resources will be released throughout the year to accommodate emerging needs.
The Fund aims to expand the availability of financial resources to individuals and families and build the capacity of community-based organizations providing basic human needs programs and services by training case workers, advocates, and intake staff on utility regulations, weatherization and conservation, landlord/tenant issues, and other relevant topics to help leverage resources.
Residents who want to learn about where to go for emergency financial assistance can contact Mass211, the state’s hotline for information and referral services that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Data from the fiscal year that ended June 30 reveals that Mass211 received over 14,100 calls from the Greater Boston region for information ranging from consumer services to education and health care. But the overwhelming majority – 80 percent – of callers from greater Boston asked for information about assistance with basic needs. The hotline received nearly 10,000 calls for information related to food, housing and utility assistance.
Residents who want to learn more about United Way’s Community Support Fund or who want to contribute to the community effort can visit www.supportunitedway.org/csf to learn more or to give to the fund.
