With the financial crisis still alarming corporations everywhere, non-profit organizations have to fight much harder to solicit necessary funds in order to keep providing social services to others.
Whereas retailers and other businesses are struggling with a decrease in patronage, the Queens Jewish Community Council has to provide their services to more people, while managing budget cuts proposed by the Bloomberg administration.
Executive director Cynthia Zalisky explained that the community council has seen a 25 to 30% increase in clients in need of food, medical facilities, as well as personal counseling, mostly due to loss of jobs. In addition to rise in clientele, the organization is experiencing a roughly 70% cut in budget and grants, making it extremely difficult to accommodate the many people coming to the program for help.
“We are definitely going through some very hard times. The money entitled to us by City Council is now being taken away for other purposes, with the mayor proposing nothing but cuts. A lot of people are in arrears for rent, with seven to eight residents coming to us for help each month,” Zalisky said.
The organization provides a vast amount of social, cultural and educational services for teenagers, families, immigrants and the elderly, extending help to people outside of the Jewish community as well. Its annual report states that the program is “compromised of 140 faith-based organizations committed to alleviating poverty within Queens and to ensuring our clients’ economic, cultural, and social prosperity.”
Currently, the community council is strongly committed to pulling the necessary funds in order to keep providing help to others. Since the competition between the peers of the organization has become much higher, an agreement to collaborate with one another is essential.
“We are holding onto whatever we can, fighting the fight by advocating the increase in budget and protesting the re-election of Mayor Bloomberg,” said Zalisky. “With our President-elect Obama being a Democrat, there is also hope in his pro-social service stance to alleviate some of our problems. After all, the funding starts with the federal government.”