United Way Dips Into Reserves to Aid 36 Agencies : Funds: Local groups were given a total of $216,000 from the Orange County chapter’s ‘safety net.’ The organization also kicked off its annual fund drive with a goal of $21.5 million.

Representatives of Orange County’s United Way announced Wednesday that they have dug deep into their reserve funds to dole out an extra $216,000 in “safety net funds” to 36 social service agencies hit hard by the sour economy.

“Support in this area is being cut,” Janet Davidson, head of United Way agency relations, said at a news conference at the headquarters of the county’s Salvation Army. “Times are tough; many people who used to contribute to these services are now on the receiving end.”

As an example of the charity drought, United Way officials said that 238 agencies sought about $4 million from one United Way funding category, which was able to distribute only $830,000 to 48 groups. The reason, she said, was that income sources have dried up as a result of the economy.

“The need is a great deal greater than the resources,” Davidson said. “This gap (has been) filled in a small way by the safety net. The proverbial rainy day has arrived.”

The $216,000, she said, represents about two-thirds of the agency’s reserve fund, which will take about a year to replace.

Included on the list of recipients was the Orange County Epilepsy Society, Laguna Club for Kids, Campfire Boys and Girls and the Community Day Nursery of Garden Grove.

Representatives from several local agencies were on hand to point out evidence of the increasing demands on their agencies.

A spokesman for the Salvation Army, for instance, said his agency has experienced a 50% to 70% increase in the number of people asking for services. About 25% more youngsters are participating in programs at the Boys & Girls Club of Stanton. And at Independencia Community Center, a social service agency serving low-income Latino families in Anaheim, about 50% more senior citizens are showing up for the free lunch program.

“The safety net money was literally like a miracle,” said Sister Armida Deck, Independencia’s executive director. “We were considering cutting our staff by 75%. When the money arrived, it was the answer to a prayer for all of us.”

In addition to revealing the safety net giveaway, United Way officials announced the beginning of the agency’s annual fund drive. This year’s goal, said William Yingling, campaign chairman, is $21.5 million--about 2.5% more than last year’s.

Given the current economic climate, Yingling conceded, the goal is ambitious. Yet by being “flexible and innovative,” he said, it can be met. “The campaign will be a challenge in all respects,” he said. “We have to step up to the plate and accept responsibility; the need is greater than ever before.”

To help clear the way toward that goal, United Way President Merritt Johnson spoke briefly on two recent issues facing the agency. Last year the national organization’s president, William Aramy, resigned following highly publicized allegations of financial misconduct. Since then, Johnson said, a new president--39-year-old Elaine Chao--has been named who will bring a “new dynamic” to the organization. In addition, he said, United Way’s national budget has been cut by about 20%, reducing the amount of dues paid by local chapters, and efforts have been made to increase local representation on the agency’s board.

Johnson also reiterated the Orange County chapter’s support for the Boy Scouts, which was sued earlier this year by two youngsters who claimed to have been discriminated against because they were atheists. The case is in the courts on appeal. “We will continue our support as it wends it way through due process,” Johnson said.

Earlier this year, the Bay Area United Way agency decided to review its funding of that area’s Boy Scout organizations following complaints that the youth group barred homosexuals from membership.

United Way Gifts

United Way of Orange County will distribute $216,000 out of its reserve fund to bolster agencies hit hard by the economic downturn. A list of the organizations and amounts:

Agency Amount Family Service Assn.* $31,878 Boys & Girls Club of the Harbor Area 24,191 Boys & Girls Club of Fullerton 14,311 Friendly Center Inc. 12,057 Boys & Girls Clubs of La Habra/Brea 10,455 Girls Inc. of Newport Mesa 10,318 Alpha Center Inc. 8,840 Southwest Community Center-Santa Ana 7,823 Boys Club of Placentia 7,569 Pride Development Council** 6,111 Volunteer Center of Orange County--West 6,054 Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley 5,655 Orange County Mental Health 5,610 Boys & Girls Club of Tustin 5,435 Boys & Girls Club of Santa Ana 5,415 Anaheim Independencia Community Center 5,176 Boys & Girls Club of Stanton 4,871 Campfire Boys and Girls 4,190 Boys & Girls Club of Buena Park 4,068 Westminster Boxing Club 3,697 Laguna Club for Kids 3,516 Delhi Community Center 3,372 Orange County Council on Aging 3,139 Youth Employment Service 3,055 FISH Inc.-Harbor Area 2,549 Boys Club of Garden Grove 2,534 Boys & Girls Club of Cypress 2,291 Community Day Nursery of Garden Grove 2,093 Hotline of Southern California 1,938 Orange County Epilepsy Society 1,859 Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area 1,617 Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach 1,452 Los Alamitos Youth Center 1,383 FISH Inc. of Fullerton 619 Orange County Urban League 567 FISH Inc. of Placentia/Yorba Linda 292 TOTAL $216,000

* Contingent on clearance from United Way of Orange County Assistance and Assessment Committee ** Contingent on meeting United Way Of Orange County’s eligibility requirements Source: United Way of Orange County