January 15, 1998 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Many charities continue to see long lines for food, counseling, and other social services — and cannot keep up with demands for help from the poor, say two new studies.
Catholic Charities USA says its 1,400 affiliates nationwide helped 12.8 million people in 1996, an increase of 18 per cent over the previous year. The United States Conference of Mayors in Washington found similar percentage increases in the number of people seeking help for hunger and homelessness last year in its survey of 29 cities.
Both organizations reported large increases in requests for food. About 5.7 million people turned to food banks, soup kitchens, and other programs run by Catholic Charities in 1996, an increase of 16 per cent. The mayors’ survey also reported an increase of 16 per cent.
“We find this surge in the number of hungry people during prosperous times shocking,” said the Rev. Fred Kammer, president of Catholic Charities USA. “It’s obvious that not all Americans are participating in the country’s economic expansion.”
The findings on homelessness were more ambiguous. The mayors’ study reported an increase of 3 per cent in the number of people seeking emergency shelter last year. That was the smallest increase in homelessness since the mayors’ group started collecting such data in 1985. Catholic Charities found that the number of people who turned to its affiliates for emergency shelter dropped by 6 per cent, to just over 240,000.
Some needs of poor people continued to go unmet, the studies found. The mayors’ study found that more than one-fourth of those requesting emergency shelter were turned away, while 19 per cent of demands for emergency food were not met last year. Catholic Charities found that almost two-thirds of its local affiliates maintained waiting lists for services in 1996.
The increase in clients is particularly troubling, both organizations say, because it comes before most of the more stringent provisions in the new welfare law have taken effect. Under the 1996 law, recipients are limited to two consecutive years of benefits. More than 90 per cent of the cities in the mayors’ survey said they expected demand for emergency food and shelter to increase again this year.
For a free copy of Catholic Charities’ annual survey, contact Genna Viozzi, communications assistant, Catholic Charities USA, 1731 King Street, Alexandria, Va. 22314; (703) 549-1390; e-mail gviozzi@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
For a copy of “A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America’s Cities: 1997,” contact the U. S. Conference of Mayors, 1620 I Street, N.W., Washington 20006; (202) 293-7330. The cost is $15.
