Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2009 / With so many plants nearby, Catholic community in Pontiac works to help
With so many plants nearby, Catholic community in Pontiac works to help
by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published May 8, 2009
Detroit - In Pontiac, where several auto plants are - or were - located, and just down the street from Chrysler headquarters, agencies that serve the poor are also feeling the pinch.
But both the Matchan Nutrition Center and the Catholic Community Response teams are expecting things to get worse before they get better as the economy takes its toll on more and more people.
Bob Harper, chairman of the board for Matchan Nutrition Center, a food kitchen that runs out of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Pontiac, said he's found the mix of people attending its Tuesday and Thursday lunches become more of a homogenous mix between black, white and Hispanic, which just goes to show that "a lot of people are being hit in this economy." "Our counts are definitely going up," he said. And on the funding side, they're starting to see donations slip a little, as well.
"I don't think we've felt the full brunt of those yet," he said. "It's the future timeframe we're concerned about."
Matchan is still able to pay its bills, Harper said, but he's expecting to feel more effects this summer and fall as the effects from shutdowns and Chrysler's bankruptcy trickle down to suppliers. There's not a whole lot the center can do except order more food to prepare - they purchase whatever doesn't come in through donations from a discounted rate from Gleaner's Food Bank, and go to discount warehouse stores when necessary.
The board will likely develop a longer-term plan, he said, but they're not panicking, and are keeping in mind that everyone's feeling the pinch and therefore everyone's having trouble raising funds for their causes. "We can't do anything about donations," he said. "They'll come in as they come in."
Suzanne Kimmerly, program coordinator for the Catholic Community Response Team, which is an effort of the Pontiac Area Vicariate and provides services to people within the vicariate depending on the need - whether it's giving out food, arranging for security deposits for a place to live, helping people get a state identification, or even helping people get eyeglasses. Although the team has seen a bit of increase in requests, Kimmerly said many of their clients are generationally impoverished and not as affected - although some are having an even harder time finding a job as the middle class floods the market, leaving fewer jobs for the working poor.
There has been an increase in calls about foreclosures and shutoffs, and still basic needs from their clients, and many more from the middle class. "People who have not been in this situation before just don't know what to do," she said. Often, the team guides the client to which agency can help them with which problem.
Making it harder for the team to serve others is that they've lost a few partners who are feeling their own effects of the economy. "Donations are down, needs are up," she said. "There's a lot of uncertainty right now. It's a difficult time. People aren't spending, and they're not donating."
They are also expecting more to seek help, they they're trying to plan for increased need by looking out for grants or foundations that can help - "We're looking under rocks, shaking the money tree," she joked. The team also got a $20,000 grant from the archdiocese this year, which frees up money for overhead that could be used for helping people. "That's one thing we don't have to worry about," she said.
The Catholic Community Response Team has an office in the Catholic Social Services building in Pontiac, just off Huron west of William, and can be reached at (248) 334-3595, ext. 3332. Matchan hosts lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays on the grounds of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 46408 Woodward Ave., Pontiac.
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