Picking up the slack for charity

Wednesday's editorial takes another look at the social-service organizations that need increased help from the public in a difficult funding year.

St. Delight Community Outreach in Little River, which operates a food pantry and provides other services, is among the more than 30 organizations that no longer will receive financial help from Horry County.

Facing a revenue shortfall of $10 million, the Horry County Council approved a $131 million budget that preserves core services but reduces spending, including $500,000 to the private organizations. These include a half dozen rescue squads, Chapin Memorial Library in Myrtle Beach, the Rape Crisis Center, American Red Cross, Salvation Army and the Little River program.

The Rev. Charles Randall talked about how his church's outreach has continued to serve more people in the recessionary economy and how it will deal with the loss of $2,500 in Horry County funding.

For one thing, the food pantry stretched until May the 2,500 pounds of canned goods from a holiday food drive by the Rotary Club of Little River. (Randall is outgoing president of the Rotary Club.) He said the pantry volunteers have been "very tight on helping people with food - very watchful as to whom the food goes."

Randall also mentioned increased help for the outreach from the larger Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church in North Myrtle Beach. It is among the several churches that also consistently support the three Helping Hand organizations in the Myrtle Beach area.

The St. Delight experience highlights how churches and service clubs as well as individuals can step up their giving to keep vital services going in the wake of the Horry County cutback.

Meanwhile, Julie Kopnicky, United Way of Horry County marketing and communications coordinator, says the dozen United Way agencies impacted by the Horry County budget have been urged to make their budgets as lean as possible without cutting services.

No social service agency wants to reduce vital services at a time when they are needed even more urgently. "Many [United Way agencies] have cut their budgets to the extreme," Kopnicky says. Boards and managing directors have frozen salaries, reduced promotional efforts and reduced or eliminated expenses such as office cleaning. These are steps taken in the United Way organization itself.

Organizations also can look closely at travel and training expenses, although in some services training is essential as new volunteers come aboard.

The United Way also is pushing for innovation in raising funds and will strive to adapt the upcoming annual campaign (it kicks off Sept. 18) to the changing economy. Last year's drive raised $1,417,000 - 96 percent of the $1,475,000 goal. Because of the economy, this year's annual drive likely will have a reduced goal, a practical and sensible move.

Kopnicky says some folks may not realize how far a dollar a week can go. "Every dollar counts," she says. Consider that $1 a week ($52) will deliver 15 days of hot, nutritious meals.

Individuals, private service clubs and churches surely will continue to be powerful forces in helping various charitable organizations maintain vital social services.

The Rev. Charles Randall talked about how his church's outreach has continued to serve more people in the recessionary economy and how it will deal with the loss of $2,500 in Horry County funding.

For one thing, the food pantry stretched until May the 2,500 pounds of canned goods from a holiday food drive by the Rotary Club of Little River. (Randall is outgoing president of the Rotary Club.) He said the pantry volunteers have been "very tight on helping people with food - very watchful as to whom the food goes."

Randall also mentioned increased help for the outreach from the larger Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church in North Myrtle Beach. It is among the several churches that also consistently support the three Helping Hand organizations in the Myrtle Beach area.

The St. Delight experience highlights how churches and service clubs as well as individuals can step up their giving to keep vital services going in the wake of the Horry County cutback.

Meanwhile, Julie Kopnicky, United Way of Horry County marketing and communications coordinator, says the dozen United Way agencies impacted by the Horry County budget have been urged to make their budgets as lean as possible without cutting services.

No social service agency wants to reduce vital services at a time when they are needed even more urgently. "Many [United Way agencies] have cut their budgets to the extreme," Kopnicky says. Boards and managing directors have frozen salaries, reduced promotional efforts and reduced or eliminated expenses such as office cleaning. These are steps taken in the United Way organization itself.

Organizations also can look closely at travel and training expenses, although in some services training is essential as new volunteers come aboard.

The United Way also is pushing for innovation in raising funds and will strive to adapt the upcoming annual campaign (it kicks off Sept. 18) to the changing economy. Last year's drive raised $1,417,000 - 96 percent of the $1,475,000 goal. Because of the economy, this year's annual drive likely will have a reduced goal, a practical and sensible move.

Kopnicky says some folks may not realize how far a dollar a week can go. "Every dollar counts," she says. Consider that $1 a week ($52) will deliver 15 days of hot, nutritious meals.

Individuals, private service clubs and churches surely will continue to be powerful forces in helping various charitable organizations maintain vital social services.