Wichita charities: We have enough stuff, but not enough cash

Cash is not flowing this holiday season, local charities say.

While donations toys, coats and other items have been fairly consistent with years’ past, several major charities in Wichita say they are hundreds of thousands of dollars behind giving goals.

The Salvation Army has raised just $700,000 of its $1.7 million goal from its Red Kettle program so far this year, and has two weeks left to go, according to Major Joseph Wheeler, the Salvation Army’s Wichita city commander.

And Catholic Charities is only about one-third of the way to its cash goal of $900,000 by the end of the year, according to Executive Director Wendy Glick.

So far, the Salvation Army has helped 3,200 families since the beginning of November with food assistance, the Angel Tree present program for kids, and the Star of Hope present program for adults and seniors.

Cash donations have been dropping every year for the past five years, Wheeler said. They’ve gone down $1 million total over the last five years, he said. Last weekend, they were $20,000 behind where they were last year.

“Yet the needs rise every year,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler thinks that the present programs continue to be popular because people feel good shopping for kids and families in need.

“It builds community. It’s tangible,” he said.

While children enjoy donated toys and families enjoy new pots and pans, cash donations go toward operating local programs, Wheeler said: 86 cents of every dollar donated to its Red Kettle program stays in Wichita and goes toward local home, emergency and disaster programs.

Glick, with Catholic Charities, said the agency’s in-kind donations so far this season also have been on track with past years.

But they are far short of their cash goals.

“I’m not in panic mode yet,” Glick said, noting that historically things pick up in the last two weeks of December as people donate to get year-end tax breaks.

Catholic Charities provides for the people in three shelters: Harbor House, St. Anthony Family Shelter and The Mount, which predominantly house domestic violence victims and homeless families.

Seventy-five percent of those who will benefit from donations to Catholic Charities this holiday season are children under 12. In addition to toys, the charity also accepts things like household appliances and home goods for when families leave the shelters for new homes. They prefer new and not used items, Glick said.

Staff at Catholic Charities, 437 N. Topeka, have decided to have special hours the Monday and Tuesday after Christmas in order to help facilitate any additional donations that might come in, she said.

“We’re hoping and praying that donors are generous this year,” she said.

Food, blankets still needed

On the first day of Operation Holiday’s distribution, more than 1,000 blankets were given away.

But supplies have run low, according to Interfaith Ministries, which runs the program.

“We never have enough blankets to meet demand,” said Ashley Davis, Operation Holiday director, in a news release.

New or gently used blankets, coats, gloves, and hats will continue to be accepted at the Operation Holiday Distribution Center at 1802 W. 2nd through noon on Saturday. Donations can be brought to the loading dock at the corner of 3rd and Vine.

“We’ll certainly accept cash and food donations as well — and just go shopping for blankets as the money comes in — but we really would like to be able to give each family at least one blanket,” Davis said.

So far, Operation Holiday has served 12,000 people this year.

Carolyn Kell, marketing manager for Interfaith Ministries, said food donations have especially lagged this year.

“We’re down about 15,000 food items from what we’d like to give out,” she said.

Financial donations to Operation Holiday are used primarily to supply food and Dillons gift cards to those in need.

This story was originally published December 16, 2016 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Wichita charities: We have enough stuff, but not enough cash."