Charities find donors morph into clients

The downturn in the economy is shattering illusions at local U.S. charities, turning donors into clients, several organizers said.

I receive a call or two every week from people who have been contributors for years who find themselves unemployed, Paul Martodam, chief executive of Catholic Charities Community Services in Phoenix told the Los Angeles Times.

They feel terrible. They never pictured themselves as being on the receiving side of charity, he said.

Catholic Charities USA reported 52 percent of 44 charities surveyed recently reported an increase in middle-class clients, up from 43 in June, the Times said.

The number of people and families who are forced to seek help is going to continue to grow exponentially in the next year, Nancy Volpert, director of public policy at Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles told the Times.

The safety net is being stretched very thin, she said.

You must sign in to comment