Lawson for Congress

Regular readers and fellow patriots know that one of the most important things we can do in pursuit of a better future is to reach out and make a difference in our own communities. Highlighting efforts such as Durham Nativity School and Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate has been one of the true pleasures of this campaign.

This morning I had the opportunity to spend a few hours with Howard Manning, Jill Wissing, and numerous enthusiastic volunteers with Christian Community in Action (CCA). CCA turns forty this year, and since its founding in 1968, it has been an essential part of the social safety net for area residents. Like Durham Nativity School and Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate, CCA accomplishes its mission without any assistance from Washington. That wasn’t always the case, however. In speaking with one long-time volunteer, he noted that right after the organization’s founding, CCA did pursue and obtain some federal funding. The strings attached to the money proved so burdensome that they eventually decided that it wasn’t worth the trouble.

Today, CCA provides a local crisis ministry that includes financial support, emergency food, clothing for school or work, and loans of used medical equipment. In 2007, they served 4,355 people and are expected to increase that number again this year with a benevolence budget of around $250,000. In the tradition of “social entrepreneurship”, much of their enterprise is self-funded. CCA operates the Dorcas Thrift Shop, which takes donations from the community and provides gently-used, quality goods at low prices. Revenue from Dorcas provides 85% of CCA’s operating budget, with the remaining 15% raised from private sources.

I had the privilege of a guided tour by Howard Manning, CCA’s Executive Director. Howard joined CCA after a career in the pharmaceutical industry, and his collaborative leadership style and commitment to excellence are reflected in the over 250 enthusiastic volunteers who are the heart and soul of the operation. The Thrift Shop’s “supply chain” was in full swing during our tour this morning — a well-choreographed group of volunteers were sorting clothes, cleaning toys, labeling merchandise, testing electronics, and even polishing shoes.

Dorcas is also diligent at extracting as much value from its donations as possible. For example, since many donated items are collectibles, they began identifying items of greater value and making those available to a broader online audience through EBay and Craigslist. They also recycle aggressively to prevent donations from entering into the waste stream — even clothes that don’t make the cut for resale on the floor are purchased for $.05 per pound and shipped to developing nations by another organization. All told, the Thrift Shop was a model of retail efficiency — and the packed parking lot is a testament to its value in the community.

After my tour with Howard, I sat with Jill Wissing who runs the Crisis Ministry. She and her team of trained counselors are on the other side of our current economic challenges, and provide a variety of short-term assistance to those who have fallen on hard times. Jill has been with CCA for five years, and over that time has seen our economic and social challenges reflected in her daily work.

For Jill’s “patients”, the most common “chief complaint” is underemployment and unemployment. While years ago most people seeking help had extenuating circumstances such as addictions or other social problems, today she is increasingly confronted by people who just cannot make ends meet. Perhaps it’s unexpected medical expenses, layoffs, work hour reductions, or loss of a spouse — in some cases, she’s even seeing people from upper or middle management positions who have been abruptly laid off and who are viewed as overqualified for other lines of work.

By Jill’s estimates, 30-40% of people seeking help are currently unemployed, while 60-70% are working but underemployed or facing other problems. While CCA often cannot fix the underlying problems, it is a valuable part of the safety net that helps people get back on their feet. Food and financial assistance is limited both in duration and in amount, and they also provide links to other organizations that can help address longer-term needs and identify employment opportunities. Importantly, they also provide childcare assistance — sometimes the cost of child care is the one thing that prevents an otherwise willing person from obtaining employment.

If you are interested in helping Christian Community in Action, visiting their Web site is a great place to start. Howard and his Board are leading a vision for CCA that will include a larger facility and sharing space with other area nonprofits to address even more needs for area residents. While there are many challenges we face as Americans, there is also great reason for hope — our traditional American willingness to give of ourselves and help our neighbors is a cause for optimism and celebration.

Best of all, we can help each other and make our community a better place without waiting for permission or funding from our federal government.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 5:37 pm and is filed under community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.