Times-Union Staff Writer

First the economy began slowing down.

Then there were the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Last week, several tornadoes blew through northern Indiana, including Kosciusko County, causing destruction along their paths.

Local service agencies responded to each problem as quickly and as much as each agency could.

But what kind of impact have those events had on the agencies themselves?

Sandra L. Mafera, United Way of Kosciusko County Inc. executive director, said, "We kicked off our fund drive for Kosciusko County on Sept. 7. It was well attended. We were ready to roll."

More than 100 volunteers attended the kickoff to help raise $1.1 million for the United Way.

But four days later, after the terrorist attacks, Mafera said, "We became a bit paralyzed. We never thought this could happen on our land." The campaign slowed down and people involved in the fund-raising took time to reflect on what happened.

Eventually, the campaign started up again, she said, and she now thinks they will meet their goal.

"Right now," she said, "we're at 37 percent but that's with four major companies not reporting."

She said reports have been slow in arriving due to the Sept. 11 tragedy.

"We'll be fine because the people of Kosciusko County are so giving," she said. Area residents know that United Way agencies like the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army are there in times of emergencies, she said.

Then there were the Oct. 24 tornadoes. "It points out how important (that) there is local service," Mafera said.

As for the slowdown in the economy, she said, "It always does (play a part in our fund-raising). I think we hold our valuables closer to our chest when we are uncertain about our future."

The last day for the fund-raising campaign is Wednesday. However, the United Way accepts financial gifts all year long.

"We got a lot of doing to go," she said.

The Kosciusko County Chapter of the American Red Cross received many donations after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks for the New York relief funds - but none of that money stays locally.

"Honestly?" said American Red Cross Executive Director Rebecca S. Notestine. "It did hurt us."

She said their direct mail solicitations for contributions were sent out in July. Normally, she said, the campaign runs six to eight weeks. But when the contributions began coming in, they were designated for New York.

"We lost donations which normally would have stayed here locally," she said.

Long range, she said, the work the Red Cross did after the terrorist attacks may help educate people about the services offered by the Red Cross. But that doesn't help the Kosciusko County chapter financially now. She said they are still seeing money come in for New York but they have not seen anything yet specifically to help after the Oct. 24 tornadoes.

"The money (for New York) is not benefiting (Kosciusko County) in any way," she said.

The Whitley County and Noble County chapters of the American Red Cross are already closed. If the Kosciusko County chapter cannot pay their light bills or meet the standards set by the national organization, Notestine said, they may have to close their doors too. In that case, should Kosciusko County face another tornado or another emergency, the county may have to wait for the South Bend or Fort Wayne chapters of the Red Cross for assistance.

"The bars are set high and we have to achieve (those) to be continued to be called an American Red Cross."

Jim Coons, Combined Community Services executive director, said before Sept. 11, "This year has just broken all records in terms of generosity and client needs. We were right there in la-la land heaven in terms of blessings."

After Sept. 11 that changed. From Jan. 1 to Sept. 11, Coons said, individual giving was up 73 percent compared to the same period in 2000. From Sept. 11 to Oct. 26, he said, giving was down 35 percent compared to 2000. CCS north is not included in the statistics because it was not up and running at that time.

As for institutional (churches, service organizations, etc.) giving, he said he thought there would be a "lag factor" once the churches and organizations realize they can't give as much as before. Individual giving is an indicator, he said, of what may be expected.

And with the downturn in the economy since November 2000, CCS has seen their client list grow not only in numbers but also in the size of the families they assist.

Coons said their client base has changed to a 3.7 average family size from 2.8. The households they are assisting are more dual-income households than ever before. He said that is in part due to one or both of the income providers being laid off and the remaining income provider not able to keep up with the bills.

"We're seeing that as a major change," he said. "The pressure on the sources is not only up because of the number of households but also the number of people in the households."

Like other agencies that receive funding from the United Way, with the United Way struggling to raise money, "That's got us a little nervous. ... We're all concerned about that," Coons said.

The United Way helps support 27 local service agencies. If the United Way does not reach its goal, it and the 27 agencies will face budget cuts. [[In-content Ad]]