By Andrea Berube
Those fighting to keep Neighborhood Services open may have found an ally in the regional government.
The organization, which runs six thrift stores in the Ottawa area, needs to raise $75,000 by the end of February to keep the stores open.
“They have a long history of community service,” says Regional Chair Bob Chiarelli. “I think if there’s any way we can accommodate them through this short-term financial crisis, we should try to do that.”
Chiarelli and Dick Stewart, the region’s commissioner of social services, will be meeting to see if there are any options available to the region to help Neighborhood Services.
Ian Fraser, volunteer president of the organization, says the financial crisis stems from cuts made to social assistance in 1997.
After the cuts, he says, the 60 per cent of customers who are on social assistance lost their disposable incomes, and sales dropped over $170,000.
Just as the organization started to recover from the cutbacks, the ice storm hit.
Fraser says the storm caused a drop of $40,000 in the normal $90,000 January revenues. The storm also forced the organization to postpone the current campaign for public assistance.
Fraser says Neighborhood Services has raised roughly $5,000 to make up for the shortfall, but they are still short.
“The next couple of weeks are going to be crucial,” he explains.
Fraser says the region is considering allowing the organization to use its internal communications system, such as e-mail and bulletin boards, to raise funds.
A massive mail-out campaign is also in the works, Fraser says. Copies of a newsletter and press releases are being sent out to the community.
The uncertainty over the fate of the organization is affecting staff as well as customers.
Theresa Barton is a receptionist and cashier at the Wellington Street location.
She says Neighborhood Services gave her her first job six years ago. In the fall she will be leaving for college.
“It’s really sad,” Barton says of the possible closure. “This place is unique. For the staff and customers it’s like a big family.”
She says the end of Neighborhood Services would be a great loss for some customers.
For older customers especially, a visit to the store is a daily ritual, where they can come in just to say hello and enjoy the company.
Fraser says the organization is competing for the public’s attention in a very crowded market.
“It’s tough at the moment,” he says. “Our message is very hard to hear with everything else going on.”
He remains optimistic about the future though. “There is a real reservoir of support in the community and that will allow us to get the support we need to go on.”