Working poor are turning to the mission

Pay rent or buy food.

For many people in these tough economic times, "That's kind of what it boils down to," says Rick Borland of Yakima's Union Gospel Mission. "They can either lose their home or come to us."

With households scaling back spending and looking for ways to cut costs, an increasing number of people are turning to the mission for help. More and more are going there to get a hot meal or pick up food for their families.

While some donations have dropped, the number of those seeking help has climbed about 11 percent since November, according to Borland, who oversees the mission's kitchen and food bank.

In the last four months, the mission has given away nearly as many meals and food boxes as it did during half of the entire previous year.

A similar story is heard at Yakima's Calvary Rescue Mission.

"I need all the help I can get right now," says director Leroy Golightly, adding that he's seeing 100 to 150 families each week.

"A lot of people are trying to extend their pocketbooks," says Rick Phillips, executive director of the Union Gospel Mission. "They're coming in for food. They're looking for clothing. It's a way for them to extend their already taxed paychecks."

While Phillips says the homeless remain the mission's top priority, he's also worried about "a second-tier group of people that I would call the working poor."

"I think those are the ones who are on the bubble," he says. "They are bouncing and juggling things."

The mission's food bank is open from 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It's limited to families with children -- mostly single mothers and their children -- who can use the service once every 60 days. Clients must provide proper identification, and first-time visitors are asked to fill out a short survey, including the number of family members and children's ages. One of the questions: "Why do you need help?"

"A lot of the women that come in with their children, they want to work," Borland says. "Most are very thankful. It's really sad. Because of the economy, there are no jobs."

The mission has given out about 2,260 food boxes since Nov. 1. From November 2007 to October 2008, the total was 5,376.

"We're almost halfway there," Borland says.

The same goes for hot meals. While the food bank is limited to families, single individuals can get a hot meal at the mission. Since Nov. 1, the mission has served roughly 34,300 hot meals. From November 2007 to October 2008, the total was 78,172.

Chapel attendance is required for the noontime meal at the Christian mission, Borland says. Breakfast and dinner don't require chapel attendance.

While the number of people in need is rising, the number of individuals making food donations is dipping. Private donations are down about 5 percent, Borland says.

"People have to spend differently," he says.

At the same time, commercial donations -- those from area grocery stores or other businesses -- are slightly up. But it doesn't quite balance out.

"The need is still higher," Borland says.

And the numbers have mission managers wondering how bad things are going to get before they begin to level off.

"We totally rely on what the community gives the mission to give to the community," says Borland, who's been stockpiling staples of rice, beans and lentils. "If our donations drop more, we just want to be prepared."

"That's just in case we really do have some hard times before this economy thing gets settled," says Borland, noting that the mission also supports about a dozen other area food banks and agencies. "It feels like we're getting deeper and deeper in it."

Since the start of the recession in December 2007, 4.4 million jobs have been lost nationwide, more than half of those in the past four months, according to recession.org. The national unemployment rate climbed to a 25-year high -- 8.1 percent -- last month. The mission began seeing increases last summer.

"We started to notice the spike back when gas prices originally jumped to $4 a gallon," Phillips says. "That's when the spike really started, and it has not stopped."

In fact, it's getting to the point where managers are considering opening the mission's food bank one more day during the week.

"We may be adding a fourth day," Borland says. "It depends on what the numbers do in the next month or two."

Meantime, volunteer Keith Durgin mans the pantry, wearing thick gloves and standing just inside the open, overhead door. In between customers, he stacks a couple of loaves of bread and other baked goods on the shelf for the next visitor to pick up.

Twenty people came for food boxes during the first hour Wednesday.

On average, Durgin says, 30 or more people pick up food boxes each day the food bank is open. In recent months, "Twenty-nine was our lowest," he says. "Fifty-nine was our highest."

* How to help

* Donations to Yakima's Union Gospel Mission can be made online. Visit www.yugm.org. Donations are also accepted at the mission, 1300 N. First St. Call 509- 248-4510.

* The Calvary Rescue Mission at 1223 S. Sixth St. is also in need of donations. The mission, which gives out food on Saturday mornings, can be reached at 509-248-0120. People must arrive before 9:30 a.m. to receive food.

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