With little cushion to weather the recession, many low-income families face painful decisions on basics like food and housing.

By Nathalie Moberg, World Vision U.S.

As the nation’s economic woes continue, impoverished communities are continuing to spiral even deeper into need.

“Families are not able to get the necessary things to survive, such as food and clothes,” says LaVenia Donaldson of SADCO Christian Church, a World Vision partner in Los Angeles. “We see more families moving in with other families to cut costs on the rent or mortgage.”

The faltering economy’s heavy toll is falling on children and adults alike. Last year, CNN reported that one child in 50 was homeless — a statistic that is expected to climb as home foreclosures continue to rise.

Rising need, declining resources

Across the nation, many families already struggling in poverty are finding themselves surviving on “weekend food bags” provided by their children’s schools and other agencies. As food costs rise, and many non-profit agencies receive fewer donations to serve families in need, meager family budgets must stretch even further.

The result is less food on many tables. World Vision’s Appalachia field site director, Reg Trefethen, says the need for basics is growing in already under-resourced West Virginia communities. “Some of the children in our area don’t get anything to eat over the weekends. The snacks that they receive in our KidREACH program have to hold them until Monday.”

Throughout the United States, including in the nine locations where World Vision works, mounting needs are challenging local community organizations’ capacity to respond. World Vision’s U.S. Programs team equips these community organizations with the training and resources essential to caring for those in need. Among these partners is Mother’s House, a Chicago shelter for women and children.

“Funding is getting really hard out there now,” said Alice Jackson, Mother’s House executive director. “You would just not believe all of the foundations that are saying that due to the economic situation, we can no longer provide funding to your organization.”

Partnering with local groups

In 2008, World Vision’s U.S. Programs partnered with more than 3,800 community groups serving those in greatest need, providing them with daily essentials, school and office supplies, medical and health-care items, and building materials — all aimed at improving the quality of life for families battling the damaging effects of poverty. These new, top-quality goods are provided by generous manufacturers, retailers, and other corporate donors.

La Venia Donaldson of SADCO Christian Church in Los Angeles said her church is grateful for World Vision’s ministry to those in greatest need. “The donations we get through World Vision make such a difference,” she said.

Among the organizations World Vision serves in New York is East Side House, which provides vital resources to children, families, and individuals in need.

“We have found ourselves in a situation of over-serving and being under-funded,” says Annalisa Nuzzo, East Side House program coordinator. “In order to survive and service our members and extended community, [World Vision] has provided great assistance with even more donations...Without such help, I am sure we would not have been able to continue serving our community’s needs.”

World Vision's work in the United States

For more than 25 years, World Vision has worked in the United States to alleviate the negative impacts of poverty so that children and families are able to experience stability and wholeness. We achieve this by addressing both the short-term and long-term needs of those living in poverty.

Now, addressing short-term needs is critical as families living in distressed communities strain under the combined burdens of low incomes, lost jobs, fewer employment opportunities, scant resources, and even homelessness.

We invite you to join us in caring for the millions of families who struggle during these uncertain times. In 2009, World Vision committed $11.2 million for programming and $50 million in donated gifts to help the nation’s most vulnerable, impacting the lives of more than 1.5 million children and their families.

We are privileged to work alongside individuals, community organizations, churches, and corporations across the country in preventing these families from falling through the cracks, especially during these critical economic times.