The Community Resource Center is now in its 13th year of helping the homeless and hungry, babies and their parents, job seekers, and those who are facing eviction and utility cutoffs. We are proud of our record of accomplishment. With the help of a dedicated group of volunteers, CRC has made the lives of our neighbors in need easier.
In 2023 alone, the CRC handed out 50,000 bags of food, diapered 1,400 babies, helped more than 100 clients create resumés and look for jobs, and assisted more than 650 households to prevent eviction or utility cutoffs.
Recently, our Code Purple winter day shelter for the homeless provided warm meals, connections to basic physical health and dental services, mental health counseling, connections to benefits, job counseling and a host of other services from December through March for more than 50 homeless men and women.
We could not have done this without help from our partner organizations, including Family Promise of Southern Delaware, First State Community Action Agency, Nurses and Neighbors, La Red Health Center, Beebe Healthcare, local businesses and grocery stores, and a group of wonderful volunteers who supplied homemade meals for our clients.
Support from our generous community sponsor organizations, individual donors and local elected officials also made a significant difference in our ability to help our clients, particularly Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach; Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes; and Sussex County Councilman Mark Schaeffer.
Statistics from the first quarter of 2024 demonstrate that the need for our services is growing. Food insecurity and rising grocery and baby supply prices, the lack of affordable housing and medical care all contribute to the need for assistance for the most vulnerable in our community. We make a promise to the community to continue to help our neighbors in need, and we invite the community to help us keep our promise.
On behalf of the board, staff and incredible volunteers of the Community Resource Center, we thank you all for another successful year.