FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Poverello House faces growing demand for its services, while rising costs and smaller donations create new financial challenges for the Fresno nonprofit.
CEO Zachary Darrah said donations don’t stretch as far as they once did.
“The same 100 a month really doesn’t go as far as it did before, even last year or the year before,” CEO Zachary Darrah
The increased need is evident at Papa Mike’s Cafe, where the number of meals served is up 15% from last year after increasing another 20% the year before, according to Darrah.
The cafe has served as many as 1,200 hot meals in a single day, in addition to providing off-site meals and emergency food bags.
“The reality is that gifts are smaller. Gifts are more sporadic. The truth is that people just have less to share,” he said.
Poverello House provides services ranging from clothing distributions and hot meals at Papa Mike’s Cafe to emergency shelter and assistance to help people find housing and recovery services.
Last year, 717 people obtained permanent housing through the nonprofit’s services.
“Of that number, 111 children will not sleep in the streets in Fresno or in a place that’s not hospitable for Fresno,” Darrah said.
“With a deficit of that magnitude, we begin to make really difficult choices that can be everything from the type of food we’re able to provide in the cafe to our meals. It can be the difference between a 24-hour shelter and a night-only shelter, which is a completely different type of service delivery,” -CEO Zachary Darrah
Darrah said every donation can help the nonprofit continue providing food, shelter and social services.
“Every dollar that comes in the door is so meaningful to us and we want to make sure that it goes as far as possible,” he said.
Darrah said Poverello House’s work today continues Papa Mike’s vision, which began with helping people in Fresno’s Chinatown.
Whether it’s food, shelter, or social services, the Poverello House strives to be the place where people come to find service and acceptance.
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