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Community Corner

There For Those in Need: Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities

Manchester Area Conference of Churches (MACC) Charities can provide emergency help for area residents hit by the recession who need a hand.

The mission of Manchester Area Conference of Churches (MACC) Charities is to provide food, shelter and advocacy for families in need in the Manchester area.

“We had ten new families in the last week, ten in one day just this month, compared to about two to five new families a month, which is what we used to get,’’ said Beth Stafford, executive director of MACC.

In this recession, it’s been the middle-class that has been hit the hardest. “Those who once donated to food pantries are more often now the ones that use them,’ Stafford said.  

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MACC was founded 38 years ago by a council of local churches to fight homelessness and hunger.  The non-profit agency is now made up of more than 35 member churches, and more than 100 volunteers work in MACC programs each week.  About 40,000 meals a year are served to men, women and children in the community kitchen located on Main Street.

“The people who are hardest hit are the low to middle income class. The ones who are really hurting are the ones who have just been laid off – they have gone through their savings, and relied on funds from family,’’ Stafford said. “When they come in, they are anxious and frustrated, afraid that someone is going to see them.’’

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In addition to church donations, the non-profit receives support from foundation and corporate giving programs such as Pratt and Whitney, Travelers. Big Y Foods and IBM, and from civic groups such as Lions Club, Rotary Club, Elks Club, sororities and  fraternal organizations.  MACC operates a thrift store called the Church Mouse, on Purnell Place in downtown Manchester, and Inspirations Gift Shop on East Center Street.

Area residents turn to MACC when they face having their heat or electricity turned off or eviction.  They come to shop in the food pantry for groceries or go to the thrift shop owned by MACC when they need clothes for a job interview.

 “It’s a little different clientele than we use to have,’’ Stafford said. “They think they are going to bounce back and get a job right away, but that’s not what’s happening. It takes months. We are doing a lot of crisis counseling and referral.’’

Despite the challenges, MACC’s work has been made easier by the recent acquisition of two buildings next door to its food pantry, emergency shelter and community kitchen on Main Street. 

“We own the block now,’’ said Jacki Campion, director of volunteer services. “By being able to bring all our administration and services to one place, it has made things much easier for clients who need us.’’

Geoff Luxembourg, MACC's development officer, said the acquisition of the other buildings on the block is a plus for both the charity and the neighborhood.

 “It has been Beth’s [Stafford] vision to do this as a way of providing the best services to our clients, and at the same time improve the neighborhood by taking over these properties,’’ said Luxembourg, who is also a Democratic State Representative representing Manchester in the General Assembly. “It’s the work of all of our volunteers, and the support we have received from the town and state government that has made this possible.’’ 

The food pantry, which looks like a mini-supermarket, serves from 1500 to 1700 people a month, Campion said.  The community kitchen serves breakfast and lunch as well as supper to guests who are living in the emergency shelter.  The kitchen is open daily and serves about 100 people at lunch time.

“People come here to help stretch their dollars…we get more people at the end of the month when their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) runs out,’’ she said.

“We serve lunch six days a week, and the Salvation Army serves lunch on Sunday,’’ Campion said.  “There is no reason for anyone in Manchester to go without lunch.’’

The emergency shelter has beds for 30 men and ten women, and is approximately half-full at the present time. The shelter is temporary, and those who enter are helped to create a plan of action that will get them to a more stable situation.

“The average length of stay is about 18 days, our average shelter resident is a male between 20 and 40 years old,” Campion said. “We typically have higher occupancy in the spring and summer, and we have referral services where residents can receive mental health and alcohol treatment.’’

Campion, who has been with MACC for eight years, said that residents who have spent time in the shelter have been known to return a few years later as volunteers.  “ One man came back to us after being clean and sober for nine years, and told us the time he spent here started him on the road to recovery.’’

With the help of MACC, Beth Stafford said, a bad situation can be turned around before it gets worse. “We do support services and crisis counseling. We recently had a case of a waitress who had broken her leg and was out of work for eight months. With help from the food pantry and other emergency services we were able to provide, she never had to go on welfare, and it kept her on her feet until she was able to recover and go back to work.  That’s a perfect example of what MACC is, and what it does.’’

For more information about Manchester Area Conference of Churches, go to www.macc-ct.org.

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