Charities Say Demand for Help Rising : Economy: Poverty is spreading even to those who once were donating money. Relief agencies are feeling the pinch too.

A downturn in the economy has pushed a growing number of Ventura County residents over the poverty line and onto the doorsteps of charitable organizations, according to representatives of several nonprofit groups.

Times are not much better for the Salvation Army, the United Way, food banks and other organizations that are forced to serve the increasing number of needy people with the same limited resources or with much less.

The United Way of Ventura County had anticipated raising about $6.1 million for the fiscal year that ended this month. But the organization, which provides grants for such groups as the YMCA and the Boy Scouts, fell about $300,000 short of the goal.

“Some agencies thought that since they provide important services they wouldn’t get less from us,” said Colleen Hunter, executive director of the United Way of Ventura County. “The reality is that when we have less money we have to make cuts everywhere.”

Meanwhile, the demand for aid has increased by as much as six times previous levels at some agencies that rely on the United Way, she said. “They are just having to turn people away.”

In addition, the tough economic times have prompted the need for more services dealing with such stress-related problems as spouse battery, child abuse and drug and alcohol abuse, she said.

The recession has been felt at the Zoe Christian Center in Oxnard, Ventura County’s largest homeless shelter.

During the past eight months, cash donations to the center have dropped from about $300 a day to about $60 a day, said the center’s director, the Rev. Jim Gilmer.

During the same period, the number of people seeking shelter and food jumped from about 120 a day to about 160, he said.

“It’s a Catch-22 because with the recession we are getting more and more people who need help,” Gilmer said.

Gilmer said the shelter has even begun to take in a few people who had previously donated regularly. He cited two families whose members have contributed to the shelter almost weekly. Now, the men of the families are out of work and the families rely on the shelter for food, he said.

“They just said it’s kind of funny how they have been giving for so many years and now they need help,” he said.

At the Salvation Army in Ventura, the lines for food, clothes and loans have grown by as much as 10% over last year to a total of about 500 people a month, Maj. Eddie Patterson said.

He said donations have remained steady because “people know that the recession is here and so they are giving.”

At the Salvation Army in Oxnard, donations have remained steady while the demand for services has almost doubled, Lt. Barry White said.

In February, 1990, the organization served 400 meals, he said. In contrast, it served 775 meals this February, he said.

“We have to be a little bit stingier with the quantities we give away,” he said.

“Many of the people seeking assistance lived on the edge of poverty, but due to layoffs and work cuts they were forced to come in.”

Margie Zamora, a volunteer coordinator for the Salvation Army in Oxnard, said she was surprised to find a former business executive asking for counseling and food recently.

Zamora said the woman was given a bag of groceries and a voucher to stay at a hotel for two nights.

At F.O.O.D. Share Inc., a private nonprofit food bank in Oxnard, donations have remained relatively steady, said Maryann Staples, a volunteer coordinator.

But she said the number of people looking for free meals has increased. The organization fed 87,000 people in March, compared with 89,000 last month, she said.

Despite the gloomy economy, Ventura County YMCA officials have used aggressive appeals to individual contributors to exceed their revenue goals for the previous fiscal year.

The YMCA of Simi Valley exceeded by $7,000 the $110,000 annual goal it established, despite funding cuts from the United Way, said Jim King, executive director of the Simi Valley chapter.

Among the most successful fund-raisers was the YMCA’s annual tour of the movie sets at Big Sky Ranch, where the popular television series “Little House on the Prairie” was filmed.

King said the tours usually raise $10,000 to $15,000, but this year, the fund-raiser generated almost $20,000.

He said he is not sure why contributors have remained generous during the recession. “I’m not an expert,” he said. “I just do my job and hope it all works out.”