Signs of Strain in Local Social Safety Nets in NC: Observations for CED Professionals
<p>Not Normal</p> <p style="text-align: left">CED professionals rely on nonprofits, large and small, for a huge array of services – or work for nonprofits directly. Small businesses value community connections and are frequent supporters in times of community need. After a typical disaster, nonprofits work next to first responders and local governments in addressing immediate community needs. Small and large businesses pitch in with supplies, funding, and volunteers. It seems almost silly to say it, but COVID-19 is not a normal disaster.The current situation in NC is different from that of a hurricane (as bad as that can be) in that the disaster is not limited to a region. It is not happening at a single point in time, where people can live through the immediate crisis and then move into recovery and clean-up mode. Help is not arriving from neighboring states. How well are our communities responding?</p> <p>Observations for CED Professionals</p> <p>The observations listed here come from a variety of briefings for, and from, community organizations, recent state-wide survey data from the NC Center for Nonprofits, data gathered by No Kid Hungry NC from every county on non-profit efforts to feed children who would normally rely on school-based food assistance, and the personal experiences of the author working with community nonprofits over the past month. This is not systematic research, but simply observations on the threats facing this vital support system in our towns and counties.</p> <p>Human service nonprofits face new and different barriers to providing immediate help. A number of factors are hindering the ability of nonprofits to [...]</p>
