Episcopal Group That Aids Needy Feels Pinch : Charities: The number of those seeking help in Orange County is growing at the same time that donations are declining.

Episcopal Service Alliance centers across Orange County are operating under an increasing strain as calls from financially strapped residents have risen over the past year while charitable donations have fallen, the community service agency’s executive director said Friday.

While the centers also help the homeless, Dennis White said most calls for help have come from the ranks of the working poor who need help paying the rent, utilities or to simply feed their children.

For some families, White said, a financial crisis can be caused by an unexpected automobile repair or even a costly prescription at the pharmacy.

“We are, more and more, seeing people living on that very thin edge, trying to stretch their budget as far as it can go and looking to groups like ESA and others to fill that void,” he said. “I would say the work we do mostly is trying to prevent homelessness.”

During the past year, White said calls for assistance from south Orange County have jumped by about 20%. Elsewhere in the county, the increase has ranged from 10% to 20%, he said.

At the same time, cash donations to the group in August were $30,000 less than during the same period in 1993. Even donations of food from local churches has fallen off.

Maria Mendoza, Orange County’s homeless issues coordinator, said other providers throughout the county are also struggling to meet a growing need, most reporting an increased demand of 10% to 15%.

“It’s not just in one area,” she said. “It appears to be countywide.”

Mendoza agreed that donations of money and food have “dropped remarkably,” a reality she attributes largely to “compassionate fatigue.”

“It’s like, we’ve given, given, given and how much more do we have to give?” she said.

White said he believes the cause of homelessness has become increasingly unpopular, a reality that adds to his organization’s woes.

“There seems to be a trend developing that people who are homeless or in jeopardy of being homeless are not as popular anymore,” he said. “There isn’t as much emphasis on, ‘What should we do?’ ”

Even in Laguna Beach, a city known for its devotion to such causes, Episcopal Service Alliance is having trouble finding a place to reopen a permanent center.

A branch office which had operated on Coast Highway for six years and served about 900 people a month, was forced to close in December. It was the only place in south Orange County where the homeless could take a shower.

While the organization had hoped to reopen by June, officials say they have been stymied by prejudice and high rents.

“Whenever we find some place that looks good and looks like it will suit our needs . . . quite often the owners don’t want to rent to us,” said Marsha Bode, former director of the Laguna branch. “We have to find an owner, first of all, who is sympathetic and who knows our program. I’m not losing hope yet.”

In the meantime, volunteers in Laguna are distributing funds to the needy from the Neighborhood Congregational Church. They are dispensing food to families from the Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach and passing out sandwiches on the beach at lunchtime.

“It spreads us awfully thin,” White said.

Episcopal Service Alliance also has community services centers in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana and San Clemente. They run two shelters: Anchor House in San Clemente for the homeless, and Martha House in Orange for homeless women. Soon, there are plans to open Beacon House in El Modena for the mentally disabled homeless.

The service centers operate with one paid program manager and volunteers. To further cut costs, White said the organization next year will relocate its corporate office in Laguna Hills to a less expensive site in the area.

However, he added, a section of the new corporate office may have to be used as a service center to help needy Laguna Hills and Lake Forest residents.

“We certainly feel that more services are needed and we’re just trying to keep up with that growth,” he said.