In the years since I came to call San Diego home, I have come to know my fellow San Diegans as kind and generous people. To see this in action, look no further than our love for the hundreds of nonprofits throughout our county.
For decades, these nonprofits have worked tirelessly to make San Diego a happier and healthier place for all. According to the Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego, the impact that local nonprofits have left throughout our community is immense. Their work has touched 82% of San Diegans. 93% of San Diegans believe in the importance of nonprofits and 47% of local residents donated to at least one organization last year.
Yet over these past couple of years, our nonprofit neighbors have found themselves in a difficult position. The Nonprofit Institute also found that 68% of local nonprofits have seen an increase in demand, especially those that help feed and clothe local San Diegans. However, the majority of local organizations, or 81%, have come into this year with less funding in hand.
Donors, facing a high cost of living, are understandably more hesitant to give. Federal and state program cuts have imperiled once-reliable funding streams that many organizations depended upon to fund vital services.
This is a pressure that we at Father Joe’s Villages have likewise felt. Our on-campus, drive-thru pantry saw a spike in demand from families who lost access to food stamps during the prior government shutdown. We expect this demand will increase as H.R. 1, which will drastically reduce SNAP and CalFresh eligibility, continues to roll out.
As of April 1, immigrants will no longer be eligible. Later this year, CalFresh recipients will be subject to stricter work requirements that may mean hundreds more San Diegans will lose the food stamps that they rely upon to feed their families.
If this trend continues, many organizations across our region could be forced to make tough choices: whether to scale back or shutter programs, whether to let staff go or even to close their doors entirely.
Let it be known. This is not the first time we, nor many other organizations, have faced threats to our funding. We at Father Joe’s Villages have always adapted, whether it is to respond to emerging needs in the community or to shifts in the economic wind.
Nonprofits have long filled gaps that the government alone cannot address, going where others can’t or won’t. This holds especially true in supporting our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
Now we turn to you. Your support has ensured that hundreds of nonprofits across our region are able to sustain our community. Your continued support will keep all of our doors open for many years to come, especially in these uncertain times.
I ask this of you: any support is welcome. If you can donate funds, we ask that you consider giving a gift to organizations who are scrambling to resolve the biggest issues our community faces today: poverty, homelessness, hunger and a lack of affordable housing. If you cannot give funds, a gift of your time goes a long way.
I also ask this of our elected officials: organizations like ours have long depended on City and County funding to support programming. Our hope is not just that previously existing fundraising streams may return but that you will continue to partner with us and our peers in addressing our region’s biggest challenges.
It is with our community’s support that local nonprofits will survive, and even thrive, through whatever challenges we may face in the months and years ahead.
On behalf of my peers, thank you. Your support is keenly felt in these times.
Deacon Jim Vargas is president and CEO of Father Joe’s Villages.
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