toledoblade.com --

At a time when food banks and government offices are working to keep pace with the growing number of people who need help, they are contending with donation shortfalls and shrinking staffs.

Cherry Street Mission Ministries, for example, has experienced a dramatic increase in demand from five years ago, when it served 120 meals per day and provided shelter for 67 homeless men and women each night. One day last week, Cherry Street provided 725 meals and shelter to 227 people.

This unprecedented need comes as Cherry Street Mission faces a 52 percent drop in donations from last year.

"The challenges that Cherry Street is facing have always been met by our community," said Dan Rogers, the president and chief executive of Cherry Street Mission. "This year, it has been a little slow. That isn't to say the community is less generous, but it is symbolic, if not symptomatic, of the overall economy that we are facing."

To combat the rising need, Cherry Street is holding an emergency food drive this month. The mission is hoping an infusion of eggs, milk, and butter will bolster its refrigerators and cupboards.

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In 2007, 132,000 pounds of food were donated to Cherry Street Mission, helping it dole out meals at an average cost of $1.31. Mr. Rogers is confident the 61-year-old mission will be able to continue to supply food for Toledo's poor.

"We've been at this for a long time," he said. "We are confident in what we are doing. We are very confident in the generosity."

Food banks and pantries across the region reported spikes in need and slumping donations as regular contributors scale back because of concerns about the economy and rising costs.

Government offices that assist the poor also are making do with less.

The Lucas County Department of Job and Family Services, which is responsible for processing applications for assistance, is working with a smaller staff since 11 people were laid off in July because of a $1.3 million cut in state funding. In total, the 400-person agency is down about 40 employees from this time last year between attrition and the layoffs.

"The phones are ringing," Executive Director Deb Ortiz-Flores. "The lines are long."

The agency's funding is determined by a formula based on the number of people living in poverty, population, and unemployment statistics.

"We have been on the losing end of that formula," Ms. Ortiz-Flores said.

At the same time, the agency must meet federal mandates on how quickly applications must be accurately processed. To do more with less, the office is trying to do more with technology, look at what other counties are doing to make better use of resources, and work with employee bargaining units.

"We're not trying to discourage people [from coming to use the agency] in any way," Ms. Ortiz-Flores said. "We're trying to increase access."

Contact Steve Eder at: seder@theblade.com or 419-304-1680.

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