Donations down at some area charities

ISSAQUAH – Giving was down at some area food banks this Thanksgiving, the start of the winter holiday season and usually the start of an outpouring of donated food, clothing and cash.

“This is the first year we’ve run out of turkeys,” said Cherie Meier, director at Issaquah Valley Community Services, which provides food and clothing to local residents in need.

“Monetary contributions are down $20,000 from last year. And our annual food drive, which brought in about 8,500 pounds of food last year, brought 2,000 pounds of food this year, plus 500 pounds of little pumpkins for kids to carve. I depended on that food for the holidays.”

Some other nonprofits also say contributions are down significantly from last year, while the need has increased. Some organizations blame donor fatigue in this year of tsunamis, hurricanes and earthquakes.

Others don’t see a problem, and some feel media coverage of Hurricane Katrina has made people more aware of the needs of the poor in their own community.

Vince Matulionis, homelessness expert with United Way of King County, said he’s getting mixed reports from area food banks.

Trish Twomey, food resources manager at the Fremont Public Association, said most of the Seattle food banks she works with were reporting a decline in food donations this year with cash donations “about on par.”