By CHARLOTTE STEWART
It's a tough year to raise $1.325 million.
With unemployment at 8.3 percent in the Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area, needs are up, and the number of workers needed to make the donations are down.
Facing that reality, Greater Longview United Way's goal this year is $15,000 less than it was a year ago.
GLUW Executive Director Donna Mahurin said she believes the people and businesses of Longview are up to the task. In fact, the local organization has added another agency to the 18 that received funding last year. The Deaf Action Center is set to get an undetermined amount of funding.
"We don't really know how much to tell (nonprofit agencies) they're going to get," Mahurin said, "because we don't know how much we are going to take in. We divvy it up after we get the money. Otherwise, it's like paying the bills before you get a paycheck."
It's traumatic for these agencies to be approved for a certain amount, base their budget on that amount, then not get it, she said. "So, we aren't doing it," she said.
Mahurin has reason to be cautious. This time a year ago, the organization had raised $396,105; as of Tuesday, about $348,687 had been taken in, she said.
Programs, not agencies
GLUW no longer funds nonprofit organizations, per se, Mahurin said. This is the third year the organization has approved funds for various programs within an agency. These 36 programs fall into three categories: education, health and income. One agency might get funding for multiple programs.
For instance, Longview Community Ministries is approved for eight programs: five income, two health and one education program. The Arc of Gregg County has funding for one program: We Can Too At the Downtown Coffee Shop. For 2009, GLUW approved $128,379 for Longview Community Ministries' programs and $10,000 to The Arc's program.
Funding programs rather than agencies, Mahurin said, makes it easier to match up specific needs to a specific program. "This is more of a formula," she said. "People want to see how they're changing lives."
Health
As the new kid on the GLUW block, Edith Hirth, the Deaf Action Center's director of East Texas programs, is excited to be on board.
"Tell me the problems you're having, and let's see what we can do," she said while presenting a myriad of devices to aid people who have visual, hearing, speech, cognitive or mobility impairments.
"Do you need a phone with voice command? I've got that. Having trouble with memory? Maybe you need a phone with pictures of the person you're wanting to call. I've got a phone for that," she said as she brought out a phone with several small pictures on it.
GLUW has approved funding for the center's Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program.
Quick to say the agency is funded through a state grant, but is not a state agency, Hirth said STAP is open to all Texans who can prove residency.
"You do not need a doctor's referral," she said. "Age is not a factor. I encourage anyone who is interested to contact me."
The center's phone number is (903) 553-9655.
Other agencies and their programs that fall under health are:
- East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, access to recovery and Gregg County family drug court
- East Texas Child Advocates, East Texas Court-Appointed Special Advocates
- East Texas Literacy Council, health literacy
- Longview Community Ministries, prescription and medical assistance and Longview emergency dental outreach
- Women's Center of East Texas, nonresidential program services and residential program services
Income
Founded in 1881, the Salvation Army is older than the United Way. The Army's mission is twofold: to spread the Christian gospel and serve the community, according to its Web site.
GLUW supports the latter part of the statement, funding comprehensive emergency services and transitional living.
"The names really explain the services," local director Maj. Robert Winters said. "Emergency services allows us to help folks who find themselves in an emergency ... and includes providing emergency shelter, food, electric bill assistance and other immediate needs."
The program provides assistance to about 12,000 people each year.
Winters said a lot of East Texans are living from one paycheck to the next, and a loss of job, fire, sickness or any number of circumstances can throw a person or family into "a state where if someone doesn't intervene, they're going to be out of power, out of water, or worse, out on the streets."
Transitional living is divided into programs for individuals and programs for families, Winters said.
"We have an action plan for each family to determine what you need to do to move from a shelter to a place of your own," he said. "Sometimes, it's as simple as getting to the next paycheck. Usually, though, it's more complicated."
Keeping families together at the shelter is a priority, Winters said. "We give them a room, just like a motel. That's where they stay."
People are allowed to stay at the shelter until the second paycheck, Winters said. After that second paycheck, it costs $5 a day to stay at the shelter.
"We want to give them time to build up enough savings to get a place or stabilize elsewhere," Winters said.
About 600 people are served each year through this program.
Other income agencies and programs supported by GLUW are:
- American Red Cross, emergency services/services to armed forces
- Community Healthcore, Fredonia Place
- Friends of Partners in Prevention, Circles of East Texas
- Longview Community Ministries, emergency rental assistance, food box, incremental housing assistance, Meals on Wheels and utility assistance.
- Longview Interfaith Hospitality Network, Inn-Keepers housing program
- Longview Habitat for Humanity, self-help home ownership program
Education
SeeSaw Children's Place was known as Camp Fire for many years. Executive Director Shirley Hook said she and her board of directors gave up the name, and paying the $1,500 annually to use it, in 2003.
"The name was misleading, anyway," Hook said.
SeeSaw is the only nonprofit, nonsectarian, licensed after-school program for children from 5 to 12 years old in Longview offering scholarships to low-income families who qualify, she said.
About 75 percent of the 145 students at SeeSaw use a full or partial scholarship, she said.
"It's vital to have a safe, educational, licensed place for these children to come," Hook said. "But a lot of families are going to pay rent, the bills, buy food and find there is no money left over for child care. A lot of them aren't going to see any choice but to leave those children alone.
"These are not bad people. These are not bad parents. These are people who paid for necessities and ran out of money."
Hook can hardly contain her delight of having SeeSaw in the former Pine Tree Primary building.
"Look at all this room," she said looking around at a practically empty room, cheerfully painted in primary colors. "We've been in a cafeteria for years, where we were licensed for 85 (children). We're licensed for more than 200 here."
Students typically come in from school, get a snack and play on the playground before doing any homework, she said.
Other GLUW supported education agencies and programs are:
- American Red Cross, positive youth development
- East Texas Area Council of Boy Scouts, Scouting and learning for life/venturing
- Boys & Girls Club of Gregg County, SMART Moves and Positive Place for Kids
- East Texas Child Advocates, Getting Together Safely
- East Texas Literacy Council, adult basic literacy/English as a second language and young adult dropout literacy program
- Friends of Partners in Prevention, Partners in Prevention mentoring program
- Girls Scouts of Northeast Texas, Girl Scouting in the School Day
- Longview Child Development Center, scholarships
- Longview Community Ministries, learning lab
- Parenting Resource center of East Texas, parent education classes
GLUW initiatives
In addition to the programs, GLUW funds five initiatives. These are programs designed to improve the community that are not offered by nonprofit agencies. They are:
- INFOline of Gregg County: A free community information and referral service for people who need assistance and don't know where to call. (903) 236-9211
- Home repairs: Provides minor repairs for low-income Longview homeowners in cooperation with various governmental entities, community organizations and volunteers.
- Legal assistance: Provides free legal assistance in cooperation with Lone Star Legal Aid to low-income residents and families who have immediate needs but cannot afford an attorney for things such as protective orders, divorce, custody and unfair landlord practices.
- VITA: Provides free preparation for income tax returns in cooperation with LeTourneau University and the Internal Revenue Service for low-income families.
- FamilyWize prescription drug cards: Pays part of prescription drugs cost at participating pharmacies.
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Greater Longview United Way facts
Fundraising goal: $1.31 million, $15,000 less than this past year
Agencies funded: 19, one more than this past year
Program funded: 36
How to donate: Log on to www.longviewunitedway.org to give an online donation or call (903) 758-0191 for more information. Donations by mail also accepted.
