ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Why United Must Now Show the Way

United Way of Orange County is in a unique position to help avert a gathering crisis this summer for agencies that serve the poor. United Way has an opportunity to show leadership in a way that only an agency of its size and influence can.

Several smaller charitable agencies report that donations have dropped at the very time that many more people are showing up at their doors in dire need of food, clothing, shelter, medical care and financial assistance. That has forced some groups, such as the Episcopal Services Agency, one of the county’s bigger charities, to make drastic cutbacks in services to the poor at a time of great need.

The situation has been aggravated by the temporary shutdown of the food, clothing and financial assistance operations of Share Our Selves of Costa Mesa, which had been servicing 5,000 clients a month. The closure of SOS, which is renovating new quarters after neighborhood protests led to its eviction from Rea Community Center, leaves a void that other agencies say they will be unable to fill unless substantial new resources are found. Thus, unless an extraordinary effort is made, the basic needs of thousands will continue to go unmet in the coming months. SOS does not expect to reopen until August at the earliest.

Alerted to this situation, the United Way last week organized a meeting of about 30 social-services agencies to assess the problem. At that meeting, co-sponsored by the Orange County Homeless Issues Task Force, the agencies set a goal of raising $1 million, recruiting 1,000 volunteers and collecting 300,000 pounds of food before summer’s end. The agencies are reconvening Friday to grapple with the tougher problem of how to do it.

What is clear is that fund raising and organizing distribution can’t be left solely to agencies, which already are inundated. United Way’s expertise is desperately needed. Some who attended last week’s meeting were left with the impression that United Way was willing to provide a forum for discussing the common problems but could offer little else. It was encouraging, however, that a United Way spokesman left the door open by saying that while it couldn’t “throw money at the problem,” nothing had been ruled out.

A year ago, United Way pledged to take a more active role in drawing attention to the health and social problems that have accompanied the county’s economic and population growth. Here is its chance to follow through on that promise with more than just words.