The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Agencies continue local aid

Agencies+continue+local+aid

Local nonprofits struggle to support homeless community.

By Anna Onstad-Hargrave

[email protected]

Many local organizations continue to provide for and support the homeless community, despite the shortcomings faced by the groups, officials say.

Table to Table, the Salvation Army, and the Shelter House have all struggled to find funding, donations, and services for the populations they serve.

Table to Table is a nonprofit that aims to keep edible food from going to waste by collecting the food from donors and distributing it to those in need through agencies that serve the hungry, homeless, and at-risk populations.

Some of the organizations that Table to Table serves are the Salvation Army and the Shelter House.

Table to Table and the Salvation Army have had difficulty because of the high number of homeless people in the area who need help, officials said.

“There’s more demand than supply,” said David Wellendorf, the volunteer coordinator of Table to Table. “We don’t have a surplus. The organizations we work with use everything we give them.”

Trisha Smith, the development director of the Iowa City Salvation Army agreed. She said although the Salvation Army had a very successful winter season this year, it could have used more resources to supply those in need.

“We needed more winter coats and boots, because shoes get wet and the homeless people’s feet get wet,” Smith said.

From Jan. 11 to March 18, the Salvation Army served food to an average of 26 homeless people a day. In total, it served more than 1,200 meals.

“We had a great response across the board from local agencies as well as donations from individuals,” Smith  said. “In terms of food supply, we had great support from Table to Table as well. I can’t talk them up enough. They provided a great amount of food.”

Despite support from Table to Table, the Salvation Army is struggling with providing for the needs of the homeless people because of the lack of healthy food.

“We were always in need of supplementing Table to Table’s food with fresh food, like fresh fruit, which has a shorter shelf life,” she said. “We wanted to provide healthier options.”

For every winter prior to last winter, the Shelter House has only been open for 10 weeks. However, this winter, the Shelter House stayed open for 13 weeks — three weeks longer than usual, said Crissy Canganelli, the executive director of the Shelter House.

She said the longer duration allowed the shelter to help more people.

Still, Shelter House still faces issues alongside Table to Table and the Salvation Army. Keeping the Shelter House open and three extra weeks cost almost $30,000, said Canganelli.

Despite the shortcomings, none of these organizations will allow these issues to cause them to stop providing resources to the homeless.

“It’s important on a human-rights level,” said Canganelli. “It’s the right thing to do.”

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