Central Florida nonprofit weighs cuts as donations decline
The days leading up to Christmas are some of the biggest for the workers and volunteers at Matthew’s Hope.
The Orange and Brevard County nonprofit’s rooms are filled with decorations and toys ready to be given out to families in need. It’s a winter wonderland adding to the workload of an already stretched organization tasked with feeding and supplying 200 homeless people every day.
However, the nonprofit’s leaders are in the middle of cutting services, thanks to a near-dire financial situation.
“We’re in more of a sinkhole than a rut,” Pastor Scott Billue said. “A sinkhole — you’re really not sure where the bottom is going to be.”
Billue said donations to the nonprofit have been cut in half, even as his donor base has grown. It’s a consequence of the economy squeezing families’ budgets tighter and tighter, which is forcing some on the lower end of the income spectrum to his door as clients.
The level of need, Billue said, was still elevated compared to pre-pandemic days. He has already cut back on the amount of food and supplies a person can receive. Future cuts may need to be more drastic.
“Sometimes it’s uncomfortable to even suggest to the community that we’re in a tight spot,” he said. “We’ve never been here before. This is far and beyond anything we’ve ever experienced.”
Matthew’s Hope is far from alone. Across the country, nonprofit chapters from large organizations like The Salvation Army and Toys for Tots are reporting dips in donations. Billue said he knows of some agencies that have closed for good.
Read: 9 things every Florida homeowner should know about changes to insurance
Billue placed the blame on political leaders, whom he said cared more about reelection than solving problems. That included what he said was their continued inability to encourage a housing boom that would give the area more affordable units to occupy.
“There’s very little attention being paid to the average Joe of our community,” he explained. “I would look ... each one of our government officials in the eye and… ask them to prove it to me otherwise, because it just that’s not what’s showing.”
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
