Deltona charity may close its doors

BEACON PHOTOS/AL EVERSON
Charity needs help — Community Life Executive Director Charity Vickers and Bill Tavernier, acting chairman of the social-service organization's board of directors, stand amid a well-stocked pantry, wondering if they will be able to keep helping Deltona's needy. Community Life, like households and businesses, has been hard hit by the recession, as donations have dropped. Community Life rents space in Deltona's Social Services Center. The rent is due Aug. 1, and there are a host of other operating costs the charity is struggling to pay.

By Al Everson
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Jul 29, 2009 - 4:00:19pm

The future of a leading Deltona charity is in doubt.

Barring a sudden outpouring of dollars from Deltonans, Community Life will be forced to close for good in the coming days, the organization's executive director warned.

"Basically, the funding is not coming in," Director Charity Vickers told The Beacon. "There are a few churches that help us, but because of the economy, they've cut back on their donations."

Cash is in short supply, and unplanned expenses are not helping.

"You've heard that lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place? It does. Our phone system got hit again last night," said Bill Tavernier, acting chairman of the Community Life board of directors.

Thunderstorms wrecked the telephone system twice within three days, July 26 and July 28.

Since 1996, Community Life has provided emergency food assistance to Deltona families in need. The agency also offers unemployed residents the use of computers to help find work.

The faith-based social-service agency has received financial help from the Deltona City Commission, and a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to support its efforts to help unemployed residents to find work. Community Life also receives funding from United Way.

The pressures on Community Life now are just as urgent as those on a household or a business in these times. Community Life is hard-pressed to pay its bills. The outreach operation is in the City of Deltona's Social Services Center, 1691 Providence Blvd., but rent for the space is $1,000 per month, and it's due Saturday, Aug. 1, Vickers said.

"We do have a lease agreement," she added. "If we can't pay our rent, we won't have a place to give out the food."

Even though a June 14 chili cook-off at City Hall benefited Community Life with more than $1,000 in proceeds, the event was not enough.

"That was to pay the previous month's expenses," Vickers said.

As well as the rent, the organization must pay for office supplies and other operating expenses, including buying food from Second Harvest, a nonprofit food bank that serves as a sort of wholesale distributor to charities feeding the needy.

"We have a van, but we can't buy fuel to go and pick up the food we get from Second Harvest," Vickers said.

The lightning strikes came at the worst possible time.

"Our phone system was zapped by lightning over the weekend," said Vickers.

A Deltona company, CGS, gave Community Life a replacement network.

"They donated a phone system to us, but there is a cost to install it," Vickers said.

Community Life's payroll has been pared as the recession has deepened, Vickers said. The charity had six paid staffers last year, but now there are only three.

"Our pay is minimal," she said.

While Community Life is grateful for contributions of food for its pantry at a time of high demand, the need for monetary gifts is especially acute now, Vickers continued. The way to keep Community Life afloat is rather simple and affordable, she said.

"There are 85,000 residents in Deltona. If all of the residents gave $1 a year, we would be set," Vickers noted.

Community Life's board of directors will meet Aug. 11 to decide whether to continue to operate.

Although several Deltona churches have pantries that give out emergency food, Vickers said the demise of Community Life would leave a void in human services.

"When the city and churches are affected, the nonprofits and our residents are affected," she said.

— al@beacononlinenews.com

Reader Comments

The comments posted below are posted by readers, not by The Beacon staff. These comments express the views and opinions of the authors, and not the administrators, moderators or webmaster. The comments forum is governed by these rules. Please use the report abuse link if you find offensive comments.

Comment on this article

Commenting is closed for this article.

If you would like to contribute a letter to the editor, please click here.

Did you find this story interesting or informative? Subscribe to The DeLand-Deltona Beacon to read more stories by Al Everson, along with others from our award-winning writers. Subscribe now!