TOLEDO—Catholic Charities of Toledo has received an extra $20,000 from United Way of Toledo to bolster its Family Emergency Services program.

The cash is part of $250,000 United Way released this week to agencies in Lucas, Wood and Ottawa counties for immediate assistance with food, rent and utilities.

Brian Rome, coordinator of Catholic Charities’ Family Emergency Guidance program, thanks the United Way for funneling an extra $20,000 into the agency for rent and mortgage assistance. (Chronicle photo by Angela Kessler)

“Through various conversations with people and organizations in Lucas County, obviously we’re in a community that is facing great need right now,” Bill Kitson, president and CEO of United Way said during a press conference Aug. 5 announcing the “Response the to Recession Fund.”

He cited an increase in the number of people calling not only the United Way, but other organizations for help as they struggle through the economic recession.

“Our call volume at United Way 2-1-1, where people call in to get help and support is skyrocketing,” he said. “The numbers last year doubled; 40 percent of those calls are from people needing food assistance.”

Representatives from the Toledo Northwest Ohio Food Bank and the Feed Your Neighbor program of the Toledo Area Ministries also attested to the increased need.

“I’ve been in this business the last 15 years and I’ve seen it peak and valley, but I’ve never seen the need as urgent as it is today,” said James Caldwell, president and CEO of Toledo Northwest Ohio Food Bank.

Steve Anthony of Toledo Area Ministries is expecting to help feed 13,000 more people this year over last, bringing the total to 75,000.

The United Way investment is funneling $179,000 into Lucas County, including $20,000 for Catholic Charities. The funds will help people who are facing eviction and foreclosure.

“We address close to a thousand people a year, and are only able to help only maybe a quarter of those people,” said Brian Rome, coordinator of Charities’ Family Emergency Guidance program. “This … will help keep people in their houses.”

Other Lucas County agencies receiving extra funds are:

• Toledo Area Ministies, $25,000 for the Feed Your Neighbor program;

• The Salvation Army, $39,000 for utility assistance, a program whose funding ran dry in May;

• United Way’s Labor and Community Services Adopt-a-Family Program, $20,000 for food;

• United Way’s Family Empowerment program, $25,000; and

• United Way’s Family Food Fund, $3,500.

Additionally, another $25,000 of the fund is being set aside to be used in the fall and winter.

Funding for Wood and Ottawa counties is to be announced soon, he said.

“United Way is making this short-term effort to help people in need and it goes beyond the normal kind of long-term support we fund,” Mr. Kitson said. “Normally, United Way supports programs and initiatives that reach out into long-term solutions that provide outcomes and measurements, but we believe that the situation in our community is serious enough where we need to provide immediate, short-term relief.”

Additional funds are available, he said, because of the generosity of the community during United Way’s annual fund drive. Giving in last year’s campaign was up 7 percent over the previous year and 18 percent over the past three years, he said. This increase in generosity has allowed the United Way to set aside funds for other, more immediate needs like this, he said.