Covid 19 Layoffs and Consequences

Years ago, when I was actively an alcoholic and addict, and could not even be responsible for myself, it would have been inconceiveable to me that I would one day have a dozen recovering men under my care, who would rely upon me to be able to transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency as I managed to.

Yet here I am. With actually 13 people being provided shelter, utilities, the internet, washer/dryers, garbage service and food, all for their individual kick-in of $280 per month.

In the best of circumstances, most reading that realize that $3,640 is not really all that much for maintaining three separate houses and more than a dozen adults. Yet in the "best of circumstances", and by the nature of this "business", we have yet to ever see anything near $3,640 during any month we've ever operated.

Or for that matter, ever see more than $2,520. That was an exciting month, the once that happened.

Enter the Covid 19 virus, a pandemic and a rather severe set of restrictions, that never minding the necessity, prohibits most of our clients from finding or retaining work. Work opportunities for those of us with criminal records - bascially any alcoholic/addict you've ever known - are always scarce, now they are...I am gropoing for a word that means "even less than scarce".

And there are those who are also what we in the military used to call "barracks lawyers", who think that everyone with a home cannot have anyone without a home leave, "because, I heard an emergency decree means no one can be evicted".

Which genuinely cannot pay for lack of job, job loss, etc, versus which ones are seeing an opportunity? Being not so bad at my job, I'd say that I am blessed to have no specific gold brickers currently. Thank heavens. Yet whether I do nor not, I am faced with a disastrously high 70% drop in fee revenue. Or rather, the drop is in the fee revenue I usually get. What's 70% less of the 66% I might hope to get?

Well, not great.

Having reviewed, rather thoroughly and at length, with each individual, I have every confidence that they are diligently pursuing such opportunities as still do exist, and that they are reaching out to family, friends, extended family, and lol, old college buddies. Or, as I have only half jestingly suggested, old High School friends!

That's not really going to do it, though. What will "do it" is when the stimulus comes in and the quarantine restrictions end in May. Meanwhile, the situation that landed upon us this first of April till today, the third of April, our customary "program fee pay days", has meant that we literally cannot cover our operating expenses.

Oh, we deal with that to some extent every month, but I'm a great juggler, and we've a tiny but loyal donor base, so we've always got by, but this time is MUCH different.

With the full knowledge that I am probably going to lose an entire house over this, and knowing that the bars on eviction do not technically apply to me, I am not having any guest leave over this. And for those who may not feel it appropriate for me to act on my heart on that, I would point out that practically speaking, any other guest I could scare up would likely be in the same low or no pay situation as our current guests.

I have instead worked out partial payments to each of our service providers, who in spite of their loud public proclamations of "no service interruptions" are not so tolerant when it is a "corporation" that owns the houses, as opposed to individuals. They may fear turning off grandma's power or heat, but they have no fear of holding a corporation's feet to the fire.

Granted, we are a mom and pop 501(c)3 tax exempt non-profit that has so little revenue that we don't even have salaries, paid staff, an advertising budget or any other "admin costs", but we still are a "corporation", and thus assumed to have millions laying about collecting dust.

Regrettably, we do not. So my response to the emergency is as follows:

I have opened negotiations with those who hold the deed on our largest home, asking for a one month grace period. They have every legal right to say no, but one may hope.

Knowing that if I did try to pay them now, various services will receive full or partial interuption, I have already used such fees and savings to pay the services as I described. If this must then be the last month for one of the houses, they will at least have full services till the last day.

I have called an emergency house meeting for this evening at 7pm so that they each might be fully apprised of the situation so that if it comes to it they have some lead time in finding other accommodations. For many, that will mean a homeless shelter. There are no cheaper places in town to live but the shelters.

I may yet today hear back from those who we are purchasing the largest house from. Everything may turn out well.

Being able to offer full payment, but late, or a noticeable partial payment more than the $500 I might barely scrape up on my own by next week, would be of value I think, in however it is they decide. And for that reason I am now writing this plea.

We need donations. Or rather, the roughly half of those we serve who stay in the largest house do. As an entity, we will of course go on, and still serve many, but not so many as before.

I am not speaking to "the usual donors", by the way. Those who are responsible for us getting as far as we have, and who's kindnesses have repeatedly made up the deficit when the usual momthly shortfalls occur.

If you are reading this, I need you to send a donation in. Even if "just" $20. I do not count any donation as a "just", and it saddens me that people think "that as I can't send in a hundred, then why even bother?"

Please. Bother. Obviously more is better than less, but just as obviously less is better than none. And we are about everything else we can be, some surplus appliances we keep on hand for emergencies have been sold, such economies as can be had are being had, any reduction in any expense is being pursued, to the extent it wasn't already being pursued.

But we've always been bare bones, there really is no "Fat" to trim.

Please go to our website and PayPal us a donation. In some ideal world, we'd receive $1,117 total. But I could keep the balls in the air till the recovery for even five or six hundred dollars.

Our Food Pantry

490 Outreach, our non-profit most known for running three sober living homes and aiding a dozen plus people in recovery from alcoholism and addiction, also runs a food pantry.

As a registered food agency, we deliver to sober living homes, group homes, halfway homes for released prisoners, battered women's shelters, and then a whole slew of families and individuals.  Usually those living in low income apartments, broken down homes or motels that rent by the hour or the week.

During the best of times, our biggest expense is actually the gasoline on our Ford E350 cargo van.  Which is needed to pick up all the tons - literal tons - of free food we get from charities, grocery stores and the USDA each month.  It gets 12 miles per gallon.  But that's highway.  If we assume the highway is on a steep downhill grade, the road is icy and a gale force wind is behind me!

Other than that, I'd be frightened to figure out what it really gets per gallon, in town.  Which is the only thing I use it for.  In town food deliveries.  There's a church that gives me $80 a month to defray the gas cost.  That doesn't pay for the gas, that defrays the total cost, which is much greater. 

In my whole life, before the food pantry, I ran out of gas once.  Since the food pantry deliveries a few years back, I've lost track of how many times I've ran out. 

Now, due no doubt to us messing with some oil nation, gas prices are at $2.00 a gallon, or even a bit below $2.  But due to the Corona virus and panic buying, deliveries are massively up.  Today, for instance, as I write this, there are deliveries I could make, but I'm grounded, as there is literally no gas or money for gas. 

We're getting some money - hopefully - tomorrow.  Money we had expected to get today, and come to think of it, we still might not get tomorrow!  If it does come, that will let us go pick up yet more food from two local grocery stores.  And deliver to three halfway homes for released prisoners, a motel in which 70% of those who stay there avail themselves of our services, half a dozen regulars, and one recent addition, a woman who lost her job as the schools and daycares are closed, and she must stay home and watch the kids.  And the ever dwindling refrigerator because her two kids persistently still eat!

She's hardly the only one hit.  Many job losses - and in the professions that pay the least.  Yeah, like restaurant workers.  And then to add to the difficulty of all the newly unemployed clients waiting that "First week nothing" policy, there's all the panic buying that is making it hard for those who do have some funds to find the stuff they need to buy.  Because some rich guy, who's never suffered a day in his life, or prepared for any disaster, just had to go buy $200 worth of Charmin, $200 worth of bottled water, and at his wife's suggestion, $500 worth of diapers.

Well, he's fine now, not that he was ever in any danger.  But those who have a bit of money, but not much, or who got to the store late - they aren't fine.  But since the shortage is artificial, pantries like ours, who have no trouble ordering food and toiletries by the metric ton, can make up the difference.  Except for the gas.  "Gas Pantries" don't, unfortunately, exist, though how cool would that be? 

Are you waiting for the pitch?  Well, you just read it.  We need gas.  That is, money for gas.  Oh, not as a regular thing, though that'd sure be nice if I could find another $80 a month donor.  But for the literal immediacy of the moment in this time of artificially induced demand.  We need $50.  It will, with care, get us through the next eight day period, from tomorrow's pick up to the next Thursday after that. 

We're at 217-720-2568.  If that's something you can aid in, know that never will $50 go so far as this does.  We're talking about 75 or so people, most all with families, who will benefit from it.  A darn good return on the invested donation.  And if you read this later, and the week has already came and gone, don't worry!

There's always another week, another 75 plus people, more need!  Jesus did not lie when He told us that the poor we will always have with us!  $50 can, at any time, aid us in getting the food - and toilet paper! - out to those who have real need for it. 

Oh, and if any locals are reading this - in the Springfield area - are in need, or lacking some essential supplies, please, call us!  We'll figure something out!