Story & Photos by Anais Keenon
On a rainy Thursday night, five people representing different Eugene-based non-profit organizations gathered in the Erb Memorial Union‘s Metolius and Owyhee Rooms. Intended to provide information to potential volunteers, the meeting focused on the challenges currently facing local non-profits. Some of the difficulties were the same: facing down stereotypes, raising awareness of their issues, and especially an ongoing struggle with financial support.
At least two of the panel members referred to the deleterious effects of the recent changes in the economy. “We are noticing fewer and fewer [volunteer] applications,” said Abby Wellumson from the Northwest Youth Corps.
“The rate of hunger in this country is now one in seven people … and in Lane County, it’s now one in three,” says Dawn Woodward from FOOD for Lane County. With changed circumstances across the county, there’s a new tightrope to walk for local non-profits: More people need the services that the organizations provide, but there also needs to be enough volunteers and support to provide those services in the first place.
It doesn’t help that some non-profits, by the very nature of the issues they address, also face preconceived ideas and stereotypes about the people they help. Pedro Pacheco from Centro Latino Americano, an organization dedicated to helping Eugene’s Latino community, says, “We struggle to find donors because of the political views over immigration issues. Also, we deal with racism, [and] discrimination in the community toward our clients.” Gene Obersinner from ShelterCare, a non-profit that aids homeless people often with mental illnesses, notes that people with mental illnesses “make us uncomfortable … As a society, we want to ignore it, and pretend it isn’t there.”
Despite these setbacks – and perhaps because of them – these non-profits continue to persevere. Beth Stein has worked with Nearby Nature since 1994, and is decidedly passionate about her non-profit’s goal of encouraging youth to interact with nature: “I love what I do. I mostly work with children and families, and we get teens out to the park every year, and we do day camps and restoration work.”
All of the panel members were in ubiquitous agreement on one thing: Volunteers are an important, vital part of the non-profit community. Obersinner has consistently been impressed by ShelterCare’s volunteers: “This job has taught me that people do care, and want to help … It’s a good influence for me to be around, and to realize how good people really are.” And as for why people should help out, Pacheco summarized the heart and core of many non-profits: “We are all one race: Humans.”

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