SAN ANTONIO – Just days into the federal government shutdown, the Care Zone at Dwight Middle School, operated by the nonprofit Eagles Flight Advocacy and Outreach, is already experiencing the impact of paused state support.
Pamela Allen, CEO of Eagles Flight Advocacy and Outreach, said the Care Zone stocks three rooms with formula, meals and clothes to community members.
She also said the nonprofit has just received word that it is losing roughly a third of its funding in October.
“Just from this location, we serve about 150,000 people a year,” Allen said, noting the scale of demand the center meets.
Allen added that the nonprofit operates on a modest annual budget.
“For this nonprofit, our budget is $125,000 a year,” she said.
Allen said the organization has already seen a decline in donations as the economy shifts. Larger donors have reduced or removed charitable contributions from their budgets.
The situation was further complicated when staff were notified this week that state funding, which typically arrives through routine channels, would be postponed due to the federal government shutdown.
“We were just notified this week that our funding that comes in through the state is going to be postponed because of the shutdown,” Allen said. “You know, I was just hoping that we would have a day or two of it. OK, we’re back, but we were hit really, really quickly.”
Allen said she is appealing to city leaders and county commissioners to help fill the gaps.
She also mentioned that a for-profit business she runs on the side is generating extra money to keep food in the pantry, but that these resources are limited and cannot replace the lost public support.
For those who want to donate food or money, the Care Zone is located in Building D at Dwight Middle School. It’s open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday through Thursday.
Donations can also be made online by clicking here.
Read also: