As the economy continues to squeeze down on employees, employers and municipalities, East Valley outreach organizations are beginning to feel the pinch, but that isn’t stopping them from continuing to move forward.

When people lose their homes, find themselves out of work and unable to provide for their children’s needs or turn to drugs and booze to cope with life’s pressures, outreach organizations are often called on for help, officials say.

While cities and towns in the East Valley look at ways to trim next fiscal year’s budget, health and human services funding may be left on the cutting room floor, officials say.

Lisa Wilson, city of Mesa human services coordinator, says for the past five fiscal cycles the city of Mesa has decreased its health and human services funding.

According to a proposed fiscal year 2009-10 human services funding worksheet, the city of Mesa could — across the board — planning to cut its human services funding by 30 percent.

In fiscal year 2008-09 the city of Mesa allocated $839,278 to human services, but the city is only anticipated to allocate $582,495 this coming fiscal year, the human services funding worksheet shows that Ms. Wilson provided to the Mesa Independent.

"That funding has been cut every year for the past four or five years," Ms. Wilson explained. "The nonprofits say they will continue to maintain their level, but that is obviously going to be tougher this year."

Ms. Wilson says the demographic of those seeking aid is changing and doing so fast.

"People that have been laid-off for the first time are going to these agencies," she said of how the demographic is changing. "Some of them just lost their income and don’t know where to go."

Ms. Wilson called the recent downturn in the economy a "trickle-down effect," suggesting that once cities and municipalities begin to feel the effects so does the average Joe on the street.

The city of Mesa has received $67.7 million in federal stimulus dollars — according to the city’s Web site, http://www.mesazaz.gov — but Ms. Wilson says what those dollars can be used for is still under scrutiny.

"That would be ideal, I know with our stimulus dollars we are trying to be creative in how we use those funds," she said of using those dollars for outreach funding. "We are looking into doing that."

The La Mesita Family Homeless Shelter, 2254 W. Main St., a six-acre facility providing a 30-unit family shelter offering rehabilitation programs for at-risk and homeless families, according to Karen Brown, the shelter’s program manager.

Ms. Brown says cuts from state, federal and city governments are beginning to impact the families assisted at La Mesita.

"The cuts, they are definitely affecting our families," she explained during a May 27 interview. "We are really relying on the community and grants."

Last fiscal year, the city of Mesa allocated $59,404 to La Mesita while this coming fiscal year it is anticipated the city of Mesa will allocate $41,583 to the outreach effort, according to a proposed fiscal year 2009-10 human services funding worksheet.

Ms. Brown agrees with Ms. Wilson’s observation that the demographic of those seeking aid is changing.

"We are seeing our population change — we have had three (people with) masters degrees in the last month — that is a big change we have seen in the last year," she said. "Every day we get new people."

Ms. Brown says the economy is impacting residents, who stay on a 120-day basis, of La Mesita, not because that is what is bringing them there, but because it is making it harder for them to get back on their feet.

"It is taking a lot longer for families to get employment," she noted. "It is a common problem and it is getting worse because of the economy, but it is not because they are not trying."

This coming fiscal year is going to be tough for La Mesita, Ms. Brown says,

"We are examining costs," she said. "We are very fortunate because A New Leaf is a very strong agency, but it is still scary."

A New Leaf is the parent company to outreach efforts in the city of Mesa such as the Autumn House Domestic Violence Shelter, East Valley Men’s Center and Mesa Can Client Services and Work Assistance programs, said A New Leaf spokeswoman Candy Thompson.

Ms. Brown says all programs within La Mesita have had to be scaled back, in particular the on-site food pantry.

"We really rely on the community to offset these costs," she said of food items featured in the shelter’s food pantry such as meats, grains, pastas and soups. "We have just scaled back, but somehow it always seems to work out."

In addition to scaling back programs, this July La Mesita is planing to provide child care services to the general public to help offset costs, Ms. Brown said.

"That is one of the ways we are helping our funding," she said of providing child care services for off-site children. "I think it is a great atmosphere. They (parents) feel that is a safe place and I think it is a caring environment."

To contact the La Mesita Family Homeless Shelter call 480-834-8723.

The Apache Junction Reach Out Food Bank, 575 N. Idaho Road, this fiscal year received a $4,000 decline in city funding, which Reach Out Food Bank Board of Directors Treasurer Barbara Brook says is forcing the outreach enterprise to look at new funding mechanisms.

"I think our food bank is fortunate that in past years that we have had very generous donations," she explained in a phone interview. "We have been able to create a financial back-up and that is what is carrying us through."

The Reach Out Food Bank offers an emergency food pantry where area residents — on a biweekly basis — who need food, but lack the money can get food boxes to feed their families.

"The numbers are up and our donations are about the same with the exception of the city," she said. "We are probably going to be a little more aggressive with grants this year."

Ms. Brook says the food bank is always looking for more volunteers and during the tough summer months the food pantry is in need of donations that were typically handled by the area mobile-home parks in the winter months.

"Some of the people within the parks are still making donations, but they are continuing to help people as they can," she said. "The more we can educate people about who we are and what we do, the better."

Christa Rizzi, city of Apache Junction Health and Human Services Commission member and an active community volunteer, knows the need and because of a decrease to city funding is calling for more residents to volunteer.

"Because of the budget cuts to the nonprofits is why we needed to have more people volunteer," she said in a phone interview. "We’ve just got to pull together as best we can."

The health and human services commission is a recommending body that interviews outreach organizations seeking aid from the city of Apache Junction. The commission votes on funding and sends its recommendation to the city council for approval.

Recipients of recommended city funding for fiscal year 2008-09 were: Reach Out Food Bank, East Valley Senior Services, Community Action Human Resources Agency, Community Alliance Against Family Abuse, Apache Junction Boys and Girls Club and the Superstition Mountain Mental Health Center.

According to Ms. Brook, the Reach Out Food Bank received $14,000 in city funding this fiscal year, which is used for purchasing food through various agencies including the United Way.

Ms. Rizzi says the down economy could be a blessing in disguise because it could spur more volunteerism throughout the community.

"You can’t expect everyone to do it, but I look at it as we have to look out for each other," she explained. "I have had to use the food bank; it is embarrassing, but I had to, if it wasn’t there what would have I done?"

Apache Junction Councilman Jeff Serdy has a different perspective on health and human services funding, saying it is not government’s role to provide funding to outreach organizations.

"Being a conservative, there is nothing about the government that says we have to take care of people," he said noting that he has but one vote among seven on the council. "They have donations, grants where they are not going to completely go away."

Councilman Serdy says tough times call for tough decisions.

"When push comes to shove, we have to make a decision on what is going to be cut," he said of anticipated cuts to city outreach funding coming next fiscal year, which starts July 1. "We will try (to continue funding) and that is why volunteerism is so important."

Councilman Serdy says public safety and public works funding are looked as necessities during good economic times and that doesn’t change when the economy turns south.

To contact the Apache Junction Reach Out Food Bank call 480-983-2995.

The town of Queen Creek provides funding for non-departmental or nonprofit organizations and the majority of those dollars are spent on the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Club of the East Valley, the Queen Creek Child Crisis Center, community events and the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center.

However, this coming fiscal year it is anticipated — Queen Creek Town Council will have the final say on the matter — for the town to increase its funding to the Boys & Girls Club of the East Valley, a town official said.

"Because they are not only providing for the after-school programs," explained Dee Anne Thomas, the town’s information and marketing services department director, in a phone interview. "They are expanding their programing."

With $81,250 in funding from the town, the Boys & Girls Club of the East Valley is expecting to increase its current teen program, according to proposed recommendations from the Queen Creek Budget Committee.

Queen Creek Councilman Gordon Mortensen, who is on the Queen Creek Budget Committee, says the town is looking at ways to maintain support to outreach organizations even during tough economic times.

"Certainly, we want them in our community and stay as solid as they can," he said in a phone interview. "We try to get them all sound; you work hard to get them in the community ... it is the human element."

Keeping those organizations within the community may be made possible in the immediate future with in-kind donations, Councilman Mortensen said.

"Money is about 15 percent reduced across the board," he explained of budget cuts, noting the potential increase this coming fiscal year to the Boys & Girls Club for the development of a new program. "We felt there was reason to increase their funding."

But Councilman Mortenson says outreach organizations are a staple of any strong community.

"We are still a startup community, but you want to keep the human aspect intact," he said.

Mary Gloria, Pan de Vida Foundation Board of Directors president, agrees.

"We just do a little bit of everything that we see in the community," she said in a phone interview. "Mainly, where we see there is a need we go."

The Pan de Vida Foundation, which is an all-volunteer organization helping citizens in need of the Queen Creek and greater San Tan Area, is eyeing a vacant town building in the downtown area to serve as a headquarters for the outreach group, Ms. Gloria says.

According to Ms. Gloria, the building is directly across the street from Serranos Mexican Restaurant, 22703 S. Ellsworth Road.

The agreement would be an in-kind donation and Ms. Gloria says she has been meeting with town officials on the matter, but must submit an application for use of the facility before the operation can be considered, which she has not — yet.

The Pan De Vida Foundation, which has been in existence for five years, has provided three community college scholarships and is sponsoring three ASU students, is beginning a new coupon program to boost revenue.

"We have not been a part of that, we have applied, but we have not got any funding from them," Ms. Gloria explained of town of Queen Creek funding. "We have submitted allocations; Yes, we have not exactly gotten to the point we would like to."

Despite the lack of town funding, Ms. Gloria says the outreach effort remains steadfast to its goal, which is to aid the community at-large.

"We are just seeing what is needed in the community," she said. "Right now we are seeing a need for people who need help paying their utility (bills) because of the economy."

Bill Shanley, Pan de Vida Foundation board of directors vice president, says since the organization’s inception it has sought to fill the need members of the group have become aware of.

"We are a nonprofit that has helped the community for the past five years. That is what we do, we give back to the community," he explained while helping out at the Pan De Vida display announcing the "cents-off" endeavor at the Queen Creek Bashas’ Supermarket, 23760 S. Power Road.

Happy Howe, Pan de Vida Foundation coupon volunteer coordinator, explained the "cents off" program as a fundraising effort where manufactured coupons are used in Bashas’ stores in Queen Creek and once redeemed, Pan de Vida receives the savings garnered.

"It comes from the manufacturer, so your money is not coming out of your pocket," she explained as shoppers passed by. "It is a big community fundraiser."

To contact the Pan de Vida Foundation call 480-987-0819.