Social Agencies

There are some points in Ray Remy’s column (“The Pursuit of Real Cash or Fool’s Gold?” Commentary, Oct. 13) I feel compelled to address.

In general, I support the idea of encouraging social service agencies to work together to collaborate and even merge if this will enhance effectiveness.

Remy’s call for an entity to perform a comprehensive review of community needs, prioritize competing requests and eliminate support to new and “marginally successful” charities whose services overlap with “successful” charities may have some validity, but who will, or should, take on those responsibilities?

Who should decide if AIDS research is more important than hunger relief, or if homelessness is more important than lack of access to health care? Who will decide when a charity is performing well or not? And do we want to prevent any new charity from developing?

Contrary to Remy’s statement, the traditional method of fund raising, outside of membership recruitment, is not the glitzy events listed in the master planner. Organizing a special event requires a hefty investment of labor (either staff, volunteers supervised by staff, or outside event planners) and capital. The majority of charities, which are small and locked in a daily struggle to survive, do not have the resources to organize special events.

For most charities the bulk of fund raising is hard. Many of us seek funds from corporations, foundations, individuals and government on a daily basis (and, when you run a food bank, you have to “raise” food everyday, too).

I wholeheartedly agree with the statement that there is a need to expand the base of giving to community causes. It is time for those who have not contributed to invest in the betterment of their community. But Southern California’s economic problems are not short term. The public and private sectors should work together to understand their strengths and limitations so that the result will be the continued funding of effective programs that help us all.

Some have used the success of nonprofit organizations to justify cuts in government services to the needy. Where will people turn if access to private funding is cut for agencies helping the needy and these agencies can no longer fill the gap left by the cuts in government services?

DORIS BLOCH, Executive Director

Los Angeles Regional Foodbank