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The number of households seeking financial assistance at the Outreach United Resource Center in Longmont rose in 2021 and is expected to climb again this year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hinder struggling families.
That is the assessment of OUR Center Executive Director Marc Cowell, who released the nonprofit's annual impact statement Wednesday for 2021. .
“It’s clear many households continue to struggle as a result of the pandemic, and we expect another year where the community needs will be significantly higher than normal,” Cowell said via email.
The center served 56,946 hot meals in 2021 and distributed 1,011,462 pounds of groceries via 15,923 household visits for 51,677 people from its Community Market, the OUR Center states.
Those numbers remained relatively consistent between 2020 and 2021, Cowell said.
But the amount of financial assistance provided for rent and utilities rose again in 2021. In 2020, the OUR Center provided $1,115,680 and in 2021, the facility provided $1,391,050, he said.
“Prior to the pandemic, the OUR Center would provide $300-$350,000 annually in direct financial assistance,” Cowell said. “The number of households seeking assistance continues to be significantly higher than before the pandemic and did not taper off in 2021.”
At least 46 children received day care and school readiness programs at the Aspen Center for Child Development which is associated with the OUR Center. Also, 2,526 individuals participated in classes,services and programs provided by Family Resource Center activities, according to the impact statement.
The OUR Center also received financial support from 2,300 donors and over 1,000 volunteers provided 34,635 hours of service in 2021, according to the OUR Center.
