Giving Every Day
Another US tradition, recently created, is the idea of “Giving Tuesday”. Today at least some attention is directed towards charitable pursuits.
And then, there are people who give every day. This year in particular, many of them are straining under the pressure.
The headline says it:
Occasionally I do work for Arlington Magazine. I enjoy it photographically, but I enjoy meeting the people I work with as much, or more. I met some wonderful people once again.
But this assignment was different from most. Instead of simply helping people look their best, I was asked to photograph the strain they’re facing. Under the current administration public funding has been cut, while public need has surged. And private giving to many nonprofits is softer, as donors feel squeezed, skittish, or both in our uncertain political and economic climates. Meanwhile, more families are struggling to make ends meet. Reduced aid creates more pressure for those who were already on the margins, while hiring has slowed in many sectors, adding to the growing number of families who are not able to meet their basic needs. Staffing is not down in all industries, but in enough places that the whole safety net is fraying when all the elements are combined, as they are.
So what do people and organizations do, when their purpose in life is to provide health care, food, or shelter aid to those in need?
My job was to depict the struggles visually.
Lesley Daigle is such a lovely person. CEO of Arlington Free Clinic, the stewards a 30-plus-year-old nonprofit that provides medical care to uninsured adults who do not qualify for Medicaid, serving roughly 1,500 patients with chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. But with funding down, even at discounted rates, doctors and dentists can’t be hired, and services can’t be delivered.
Charlie Meng is another fabulous individual. He established and leads the Arlington Food Assistance Center, where he has watched demand for free groceries soar by 85% over the past five years. More than 4,000 families now depend on AFAC each week for food support. With federal layoffs, persistent inflation and cuts to other safety-net programs, he adjusted his operations to account for even greater food insecurity, anticipating thousands more families needing help around holidays. Meng describes recent trends in need as “totally unusual” in his 18 years at AFAC. He stopped providing turkey dinners for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, along with reducing provisions across the board, providing chickens instead, so I depicted that.
Diana Ortiz, CEO of Doorways, oversees a domestic violence and homelessness nonprofit experiencing the highest shelter demand in its 47-year history, with about 150 mostly women and children seeking refuge in the past year—more than double the number five years ago. She connects rising intimate partner violence directly to economic uncertainty, noting that communities that are historically under-resourced are the first and hardest hit when national policy changes and federal cuts ripple through local economies. Even as federal grants and donations face pressure, Ortiz emphasizes keeping Doorways’ “doors open,” juggling cuts, staff reductions and shifting funds so survivors can access emergency shelter, housing support and a 24-hour crisis hotline that she likens to an emergency room for people in immediate danger.
Within their capacity, Doorways tries to provide service for young children.
I want to be clear - these are lovely, optimistic people who push through obstacles. It’s what they do. And while their hearts break for the people who do without basic human needs, their hearts also sing for those who they are able to serve.
As you consider what you can do for others, however large or small your contribution might seem, remember that you are not alone, and what you do matters. On Tuesday, and every day.
Until next time,
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Excellent. Thank you for sharing.
Great post! I am glad that people like them exist! Thank you for giving them a spotlight!