Volunteers with the Pima Council on Aging Meals on Wheels Program say they have seen increased need during the global pandemic.

 Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star

In the midst of a global pandemic, when online and virtual have become a reality for many people, hundreds of Arizona nonprofits hope to reap the benefits of seasonal generosity on Giving Tuesday.

Last year, the 24-hour event on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving generated more than $2 billion nationwide through donations of time, money, goods and kindness; a COVID-inspired version in early May raised another $503 million in online donations for U.S. nonprofits.

The online effort Tuesday, Dec. 1, is particularly vital for Arizona nonprofits, said Kristen Merrifield, CEO of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits.

Merrifield said that under normal circumstances, organizations rely on an increase in giving during the holiday season, and the pandemic has created a spike in the need for services of many nonprofits.

“Normally nonprofits tell us they see a 30% increase in giving at end of year and around tax time, and hopefully they will see an even bigger increase this year,” said Merrifield.

She emphasized that many nonprofits are struggling with pandemic-related expenses in technology while simultaneously dealing with the loss of revenue from the cancellation of in-person fundraising events.

“I have been coining the phrase, ‘We are in the eye of the storm.’ It has been 10 months since people have adjusted to the new normal, and what that means for the nonprofit sector is that we might have furloughed employees or may be providing services virtually and/or at decreased levels,” Merrifield said.

“We have adjusted and plugged the initial hole in the ship, if you will, but we are not solving the problem, which means we may not be able to serve the community at the capacity it really needs since need is actually higher than it was before. We must continue to support our nonprofits so they are there when we need them,” Merrifield said.

“America the Beautiful” is this year's Christmas theme at the White House. Melania Trump says it pays tribute to and showcases the “majesty" of the United States. Volunteers from around the country helped decorate the executive mansion after Thanksgiving with 62 Christmas trees, 106 Christmas wreaths and more than 3,200 strands of lights.

The Pima Council on Aging — www.pcoa.org — is among the many organizations that has shifted services in response to changing dynamics.

In mid-March, it was forced to adapt nutrition and meal programs offered for older adults in order to replace community lunch programs held at 13 sites throughout the greater Tucson and Green Valley areas.

“Our main concern was that people who may have been relying on those programs for their main hot meal every day might not have access to that food. We transitioned some to Pima Meals on Wheels, which is a program of PCOA that provides home-delivered meals, and then worked with the city of Tucson to put in place Grab-And-Go Meals so people can pick up meals curbside,” said Lana Baldwin, vice president of philanthropy and communications for the council.

Baldwin said the Meals On Wheels program increased services from fewer than 1,000 clients weekly in March to more than 1,600 clients who currently receive five to seven home-delivered meals each week.

“Older adults are among the most vulnerable for COVID-19, so they are self-isolating and choosing to stay home as much as possible. We want to support them and help them to remain safe,” said Baldwin.

Other programs that have expanded to meet the need include a no-cost grocery shopping and delivery service in partnership with Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest and the city of Tucson. The program has been funded through the end of December by the federal CARES Act, and PCOA is seeking additional funding sources to continue the project.

The council on aging has also shifted many services to telephone or online: It offers Zoom support groups and one-on-one assistance for families and caregivers and continues to provide information and resource referrals. PCOA also established a COVID-19 Emergency Fund in April to provide immediate assistance with food, rent, utilities and other basic needs.

The fund has provided individualized direct assistance to 176 older adults through $66,000 in contributions from the community, but it has now dwindled to less than $10,000.

“COVID has had a domino effect in the community. Older adults who may have received a little assistance from church groups with food pantries or from family members able to drop off dinner or groceries a few times a week can no longer receive those supports because people have lost their jobs or are isolating from older family members. Lots of those supports have fallen away,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin hopes that the Tucsonans who are able will donate to the agency’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund on Giving Tuesday; she said a group of dedicated donors has offered a $5,000 dollar-for-dollar match for donations made that day.

“We could really use the community’s support this Giving Tuesday to ensure we can continue to help vulnerable older people with immediate health, housing and safety needs during this public health crisis,” she said.

Gallery: Pictures of Hope by Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson

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Contact freelance writer Loni Nannini at ninch2@comcast.net

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