Charities say human need constant during pandemic
Hours may change, donations may drop, but one thing remains constant for Butler County charities during the COVID-19 pandemic: human need.
Catholic Charities Butler County Outreach had closed its offices, but kept its services running.
The agency provides help to the homeless from its main office at 120 W. New Castle St., and also offers pregnancy and parenting programs at its satellite office at 821½ E. Brady St., near Butler Memorial Hospital.
Amber Crowe, regional director for Catholic Charities, said, “The office shut down and the staff went mobile and did everything by phone.”
“I think it was a new way to approach it,” said Crowe. “At first we were hesitant, but soon work was flowing as if we were in the office.”
Packages of diapers and baby supplies were left at the doors of new and soon-to-be parents.
Catholic Charities has since reopened its offices. Staff members have rotated in and out of the offices while maintaining services by telephone. “I guess you can say it is the new routine,” said Crowe.
Clients coming to the office are asked to wear masks and call ahead to schedule an appointment.
Crowe admits that pinning homeless people down to a schedule can be difficult.
She said those wanting to help Catholic Charities should make monetary donations, especially because of another looming deadline caused by the pandemic.
In May, Gov. Tom Wolf signed an executive order that suspends evictions and foreclosures until July 10.
“In August/September the number of evictions is going to be huge,” Crowe said. “It's really going to hit a lot of people with some pretty severe needs hard.”
<h3>St. Vincent de Paul</h3>The pandemic has also squeezed the Butler Chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul by increasing expenses and decreasing revenue.The Catholic lay organization runs a food bank and thrift store as well as provides client services such as rental assistance and utility payments.Lisa Slupe, director of client services for St. Vincent de Paul, said the thrift store had to close under pandemic restrictions. Revenue from the store, in the Greater Butler Mart, is used to supply the food bank.The thrift store reopened when the county went to green status, but Slupe said the expense of running the store has increased because of the need to sanitize donated items and provide store workers with masks and hand sanitizer.The reopened store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.Donation hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.The St. Vincent de Paul Society is looking for donations of clothing, shoes, household items and furniture in good condition.“Everything is sprayed, and the sanitizing spray is expensive,” said Slupe.“Hand sanitizer and masks, when you can find them, that's a chunk of change,” she said.Still, the food bank continued operations throughout the stay-at-home orders, with food bank workers delivering supplies to clients waiting in their vehicles.Slupe said anyone who came by for food was helped with or without certification. The food bank may begin recertifying people for aid in July.<hj3>United Way</h3>The United Way's three-person office for Butler went to working remotely in March, said Amy Franz, Butler region director.The United Way provides funding for 14 client programs, including the dental program at the Jean B. Purvis Community Health Center and the Lighthouse Foundation's transitional housing program and food bank.Franz said calls to the county's 211 service line that connects people to health and human services agencies more than doubled during the first month of the county shutdown, with more than 2,000 calls, mostly about getting tested.She added the United Way is also feeling the financial pinch of the pandemic in light of the unemployment rate rising and the disruption of employer United Way campaigns. She said people could help by making a monetary contribution to the United Way.<h3>Salvation Army</h3>The Butler Salvation Army's soup kitchen has served 5,458 meals between March 16 and June 19, in addition to handing out 300 Operation BBQ relief meals, 205 food boxes, 2,221 snacks and 191 drinks, according to Stephanie Rex, director of marketing and public relations.The soup kitchen was moved outside in response to social-distancing requirements, said Major Raphael Jackson, divisional commander of the Salvation Army of Western Pa. which covers Butler and 27 other counties. “The soup kitchens had to be pushed out into the field or made into carryout packages,” Jackson said.Salvation Army activities continued uninterrupted during the state's lockdown period, he said. “The organization is set up logistically to deal day in and day out with small disasters,” Johnson said. “When a big disaster comes along, we put on our big disaster hat.”<h3>Goodwill</h3>Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania reported all its retail stores in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, including ones at 370 New Castle Road in Butler and 1234 Freedom Road in Cranberry Township, are open.All stores are operating under modified hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day with 10 to 11 a.m. reserved for shoppers considered at high risk.Goodwill shoppers and staff are required to wear masks or face coverings and practice social distancing.Goodwill employees will wear personal protective equipment and don gloves while handling all merchandise and equipment.Store restrooms and dressing rooms are open and have increased cleaning schedules.Items that have been tried on in store dressing rooms will be put into a 24-hour quarantine before being returned to the sales floor.Goodwill's no-touch donation centers are open during store hours. Periodic closures of donation centers might be necessary due to overwhelming support from donors. Goodwill is asking people to bring all donations in boxes or bags.Donations should be placed directly into bins.Goodwill is not accepting large furniture items at this time. Donations must be able to fit in its self-serve donation boxes.All donations are stored for at least 72 hours before they are handled.The question as to whether donations will continue has some charities concerned.The Salvation Army's Jackson said, “We just want to say 'thank you” to Western Pennsylvania, not just the governments, but individuals and corporations have been so generous. I'm amazed how generous they have been.”He is concerned, though, about donor fatigue setting in about the time the Salvation Army's bell-ringing kettle campaign starts.“This Christmas season has us really worried,” Jackson said.
