OUR GOAL IS $600,000 AND

WE NEED YOU TO JOIN!!

Dear Friends:

The ice storms of the past few months have put IFC to the test. The floors of our shelter were heavily used for sleeping space this winter, and food assistance demand (which rose 46% last year) was high. One thing remained steady and predictable: Hundreds of IFC friends donated warm clothes to the shelter, braved bad weather to maintain our meal schedule, and brought food to our pantry, and otherwise pitched in. We thank you.

As the IFC recognizes its 40^th anniversary, we are at a “turning point” in our history. More members of our community are living “on the edge” than in recent history - 14% now live below the federal poverty level, putting Orange County far ahead of neighboring counties. Major state cutbacks in benefits and services for low-income families in North Carolina are being considered by the legislature. And despite a cut of $349,000 in federal funding, we are committed to continuing Homestart services for homeless families.

IFC wants you to know that we feel very positive about our work with those who use our services. Our programs have strong, competent staff and volunteers. We are proud of our close partnership with congregations, local units of government, businesses, and other community agencies. We continue to speak out on issues such as the need for affordable housing and government funding cutbacks.

But, in these times of uncertainty and economic stress, we need your help more than ever. We expect a large portion of our $600,000 goal to come through donations from individuals like you, who understand the critical need to support local services.

In the coming months, you will hear more about the activities and progress of our campaign. In this “turning point” year, we do hope that we can count on your leadership and support! You can a contribution through this web page, you can volunteer, you can donate food, and you can step forward and help us in many different ways. Please do!

go to past news releases