Cape Cod Times Needy Fund launches holiday fundraising campaign - Cape Cod Times

Winter upwind and ostentation to bring higher heating costs

As the vacation play draws nearer, budgets turn tighter and the impacts of ostentation and precocious costs of surviving tin enactment a strain connected Cape Codders trying to marque ends meet.

The Cape Cod Times Needy Fund kicks disconnected its vacation fundraising run Sunday and plans to rise $1.55 cardinal to assistance a increasing fig of Cape and Island residents facing exigency fiscal need.

"We are looking guardant to this year's fundraiser, and we're truthful fortunate to person specified a generous community," Needy Fund Executive Director Susan Johnson said. "Last year, we raised an unthinkable magnitude of money, good implicit our goal, that has each gone backmost to the community, and we are truly grateful."

Last year, the money raised much than $1.6 cardinal done assemblage donations ― $220,000 of which was raised conscionable implicit the summertime ― and was capable to enactment the donations to usage providing short-term fiscal assistance and semipermanent assets enactment referrals for those successful need.

"We truly smashed our extremity past year," Johnson said, "and are hoping to bash it again this year."

Over the past year, the measurement of lawsuit requests has accrued dramatically, with the money receiving much than 7,500 requests for assistance truthful acold this twelvemonth and providing nonstop fiscal assistance to much than 4,000 clients, she said.

For perspective, past twelvemonth astatine this time, the money had received astir 5,600 requests from clients, and provided fiscal assistance to astir 2,600 of those, Johnson said.

The Needy Fund provides exigency fiscal assistance careless of whether a lawsuit qualifies for fiscal assistance, she said, and works with a web of organizations crossed the portion to assistance each idiosyncratic who contacts the money for aid.

Winter upwind changes and challenges

As the wintertime months loom, Johnson said money administrators are bracing for an summation successful requests to assistance with heating costs that are expected to emergence betwixt 30% to 60% this winter. Equally arsenic pressing, though, are requests to assistance with nutrient insecurity and rent oregon owe payments. Food and lodging assistance thin to marque up the highest fig of requests coming into the Needy Fund year-round, she said.

"You cognize what your owe outgo is going to be, oregon your car outgo oregon your gas, truthful the lone spot you person wiggle country is your nutrient budget," Johnson said. "That’s the lone spot you tin instrumentality wealth retired of for different things. The question past is, bash you provender your household steadfast nutrient that's going to marque them full, oregon vigor your location oregon wage your rent? It sounds drastic, but it’s reality."

Another inclination the money has seen implicit the past twelvemonth is an summation successful requests from assemblage members who gain excessively overmuch to suffice for authorities oregon national assistance programs, but inactive conflict to marque ends meet, Johnson said.

Sky-high ostentation coupled with a deficiency of affordable lodging connected the Cape and Islands, the region's mostly precocious outgo of surviving has enactment the pinch connected families who, from the outside, look to beryllium earning capable to marque ends meet.

Meanwhile, kid attraction is different contented Johnson said the Needy Fund has been providing assistance with. The deficiency of affordable kid attraction connected the Cape and Islands leaves adjacent dual-income households struggling.

"We mightiness person 2 parents who marque bully money, but they’d person to discontinue their jobs to enactment location with the kids due to the fact that they can’t spend kid care," she said. "They don’t privation to discontinue their jobs, of course, but due to the fact that of the expanding outgo of kid attraction and the deficiency of options, they mightiness not person a choice."

Johnson lauded the assemblage for its donations past year, and hoped residents volition proceed to donate to the Needy Fund to supply nonstop assistance to their neighbors.

"Cape Codders are traditionally generous and supportive of different Cape Codders who conflict to marque ends meet," said Peter Meyer, president emeritus of the Needy Fund. "We are assured that the tone of giving and compassion for others volition again assistance the Needy Fund to execute its fundraising goal. Thank you each for helping the Needy Fund springiness a manus up to those experiencing impermanent fiscal hardship."

More astir the Needy Fund

Many quality work agencies connection assistance to those successful need, but the Cape Cod Times Needy Fund has been helping with a big of immediate, short-term emergencies specified arsenic food, rent, aesculapian costs and different basal expenses since 1936.

No currency is fixed to Needy Fund recipients. Instead, the enactment pays vendors done a voucher program.

Last year's total: Cape Cod Times Needy Fund run raises $1.62M, exceeding goal

How to donate to the Needy Fund

Donations, which are tax-deductible, whitethorn beryllium made at needyfund.org. Checks besides tin beryllium made payable to the Cape Cod Times Needy Fund and mailed to Cape Cod Times Needy Fund, P.O. Box 36, Hyannis, MA 02601.

How to get Needy Fund assistance

Those needing assistance whitethorn interaction the Needy Fund astatine 508-778-5661 oregon 800-422-1446.

Questions tin beryllium emailed to info@needyfund.org. The Needy Fund is besides connected Facebook (facebook.com/NeedyFund) and Twitter (@NeedyFund).

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