INTERFAITH COMMUNITY SERVICES IS ALL OF US : 2 Winter 2011


To all who are Interfaith Community Services,


It is an honor to join you as Interfaith’s new CEO in the critical work of helping others in need. This issue of the newsletter will be different.


This is a difficult time for many people as our economy falters again. This special edition presents the conditions we face and what we have to do individually, as an organization and as a society to meet the problems of our time... today and tomorrow.


The faltering economy has been tough on everyone -- you and those we serve. The need for our services has risen sharply over the past few months. Unfortunately, we are likely heading into even more difficult economic times ahead as a nation, which will add to the already increasing numbers of people who are unemployed and struggling with hunger, homelessness, and a general loss of hope.


We face a dilemma. The “we” is all of us.


We face a dilemma. The “we” is all of us -- you, your family, our faith communities, our civic communities, governments, other charities, our society, Interfaith Community Services itself, and the tens of thousands of people and families we serve.


Our dilemma is that the needs are increasing as our economy falters. More people need food and shelter as they lose employment. More families and children go hungry. More teens turn to drugs and violence. More men and women lose hope and become addicted or emotionally


ill. More people become unhealthy and experience pain. Human needs are increasing everywhere in our community -- the needs that are apparent and we see, and the needs that are real and growing but largely hidden from view.


In a faltering economy not only do more adults, more children, more families need help, but also the problems for each are greater. Said succinctly -- today more people have even greater needs. “Tomorrow” these conditions will probably be even worse for many more.


As more people have greater needs, funding to help people declines.


Cutbacks have


for the people and communities Interfaith serves cannot be met by money alone. The problems are too great and the financial resources of our society are too limited. We need to improve the ways we help people.


Interfaith and other organizations will have to collaborate more, innovate more, realign our services, look for opportunities to blend programs together, and find additional resources.


The dilemma is that during a weakening economy in the


face of greater human need funding support doesn’t


started in state and federal programs as revenues decline. Foundations that support charitable work lose money in the stock market and some foundations scale back funding of charities. Individual donors and friends who have supported our work and the charitable work of other service organizations have


themselves


been affected by the weakening economy -- and giving decreases.


The dilemma is that during a weakening economy in the face of greater human need funding support doesn’t increase, it usually goes down. Funding can go down a lot. Not just for us -- all the organizations and government agencies providing a safety net of services to those in need struggle to continue the current services. While Interfaith has problems financially continuing and expanding the work we do -- the dilemma is not just ours. This dilemma is a problem for our entire society… for all of us.


And yet, the increasing problems increase, it often goes down.


There just isn’t enough money to help all those in need. We and other organizations must find new, different, and expanded ways of helping people that are more efficient, more local and more relevant.


At Interfaith we will emphasize using “best practices.” We will study and implement the very best ways to run each of our programs so the people we serve are helped in the best and most efficient ways possible.


thousands of volunteers. We will further expand the use of volunteers and better utilize their talents to fulfill the needs of those we serve. It is the only way to cope with the great needs of more and more individuals and families as our economy falters.


We will seek more opportunities to collaborate with other organizations to work together and combine where it makes sense so programs can become more efficient, effective, and stable.


We will expand efforts to build our endowment through legacy gifts so individuals and families will be forever remembered as the gifts they leave create a never-ending means of supporting the good work of Interfaith.


We will innovate more. There are new concepts and programs


that hold great potential to uplift communities that we will explore and seek to collaboratively implement that will make a huge difference in helping people and our local communities become healthier – not just in physical health but in overall well-being.


We will revitalize our connections


so what can WE do? what will interfaith do? What can you do?


There just isn’t enough money for our society to fund all the employees required to assist the growing numbers of people and families in need. We will find better ways to organize programs and make use of volunteers to help people who are unemployed, homeless, hungry, addicted and emotionally bereft.


Interfaith has historically used


Donate today to help feed the hungry, house the homeless, mentor at-risk youth, stabilize struggling families, care for seniors, assist Veterans in need, and offer alcohol and drug recovery. Together we can meet these challenges!


Name ___________________________________________ Phone ___________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________


Jason Coker, Director of Development - (760) 489-6380 ext. 220 jcoker@interfaithservices.org WWW.INTERFAITHSERVICES.ORG Interfaith Community Services - 550 W. Washington Ave., Escondido, CA 92025 donate


with local faith communities. We will explore how our services can be brought right to the members of local congregations and directly into local neighborhoods in a way that is most relevant to the needs of those communities.


Interfaith will use its strength, acumen and connections to build systems of social support to help


Volunteers are our lifeblood! Call or write toda you, your congregation or your workplace and m neighbors in need!


Name _________________________________ Email _________________________________ I’d love to volunteer! Please contact me f


Jennifer Maestas, Volunteer Coordinator - (760) 48 Interfaith Community


volu


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