This past year has been filled with service and challenges. We celebrate our ability to help many people, including a 77-year-old veteran whose eviction we prevented with your support. Our food pantry has seen a rise in demand, serving over 300 more individuals in October than in September, while grant funding has decreased. We faced significant cuts in housing funding, leading to reduced staff and increased financial strain on our food services. Despite these challenges, our dedicated volunteers and staff keep operations running. We ask for your end-of-year contributions to help us continue our mission. We welcome inquiries and visits, and we are here to support those facing food insecurity or housing instability.
Giving and Gratitude Q & A: Highlighting Pottstown Cluster with Executive Director Jacqui Good
This November, our Giving and Gratitude segment shines a light on Pottstown Cluster, one of our partner organizations that truly embodies the spirit of giving. We sat down with Jacqui Good from Pottstown Cluster to learn more about their mission and the vital role of community support.
Q. What does “giving” mean to Pottstown Cluster, and how does it shape your mission and daily work?
A. Giving to Pottstown Cluster means partnering with donors and volunteers to serve our community. Our mission is to help meet basic needs like food security and housing stability. We serve as stewards of resources in order to help as many people as possible. In 2023, we served more than 17,000 people from the food pantry alone. We benefit from a wide variety of resources to meet those needs that includes funding and gifts-in-kind, from individuals, organizations, and funders.
Q. What roles does community support play in your organization’s ability to provide for those in need?
A. Community support is imperative to our work. We draw-on support from large nonprofits like Philabundance and Share, foundations, individual donors, other community groups, and volunteers. The absence of any of these sources could result in reduced services. It takes support from all of these sources to meet the needs of those depending on us.
Q. How do you express gratitude to the volunteers and donors who make your work possible?
A. We show our appreciation to donors through various forms of communication, including acknowledgment letters, handwritten notes, phone calls, and email messages. We also keep them informed and engaged through annual appeal letters with program updates, social media posts, participation in community groups, and speaking engagements.
Q. What are some ways people can give back to Pottstown Cluster during the holiday season, even if they aren’t able to make a financial decision?
A. Even if individuals and organizations are not able to make a financial donation, it helps our work to send people to our website and talk about our work.
Q. How has the generosity of the community helped shape your organization’s future plans or upcoming initiatives?
A. In nearly every case when we have reached-out on social media and the website and asked for donations, there has been a response, and we are grateful.
Thank you, Pottstown Cluster, for demonstrating the true spirit of giving and gratitude through this Q&A.
M
eet Mr. Smith, whose story highlights the risk of homelessness for older adults on fixed incomes during life crises or financial setbacks.
Mr. Smith, a 77-year-old veteran living alone in Pottstown, faced a challenging situation when his personal information was compromised, leading to the suspension of his monthly SSI benefits of less than $1,000. This financial strain made it difficult for him to keep up with his rent, prompting his landlord to initiate eviction proceedings in September. In desperation, Mr. Smith reached out to the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities for assistance. Thanks to funding secured for our older adult housing support program, we were able to intervene and prevent his eviction by covering his back rent, late fees, court costs, and his November rent. This assistance provided Mr. Smith with the breathing space he required to regain his financial footing and return to a state of stability, enabling him to pay his rent independently. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Mr. Smith expressed his heartfelt thanks, while we felt a deep sense of fulfillment in being able to provide a housing helping hand up to such a deserving person.
Mr. Smith’s story illustrates the vulnerability of older adults living on fixed incomes to homelessness, particularly when faced with a life crisis or financial setback. Mr. Smith is sadly just one among many. An alarming trend is the increasing number of older adults who are at-risk of becoming homeless. We’ve witnessed many individuals over the age of 80 experiencing rent hikes from $500 to more than $1,000. With the average monthly Social Security income sitting at $943, and the typical rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Montgomery County reaching $1,200. The situation is alarming. Additionally, the average wait time for senior housing is two years, which clearly indicates a looming crisis. To address this issue, the Pottstown Cluster has developed a program aimed at helping low-income older adults remain or transition into safe, affordable housing,
To make a contribution towards addressing our mission’s most pressing needs, visit pottstowncluster.org/donate