For Brandywine resident Dawn Bowling and many others, Community Support Systems Inc. fills a vital role in southern Prince George’s County.
Established 13 years ago, CSS is a nonprofit that strives to help low- and moderate-income families and senior citizens in southern Prince George’s and northern Charles County with various programs and services, including food pantries in Accokeek and Baden.
‘‘I recall when I didn’t even have a vehicle one year and I couldn’t even drive to get out,” said Bowling, who has used CSS services for parts of the past two years. ‘‘But three women here were nice enough and brought me more than I could absolutely imagine for my kids for Christmas.”
CSS, however, has run into some financial problems in recent months. The rising costs of gas and food, as well as a recurring need for assistance, have taxed its resources, CSS Executive Director Claudia Raskin said.
‘‘We are always hustling to find ways to continue providing services to our clients,” she said.
Last year, CSS Food Pantries had 6,661 visitors and made 1,490 home deliveries. Its advocacy and assistance fund had 527 beneficiaries and a shared nursing home serves five low-income seniors, Raskin said. Approximately 90 percent of its services are accessed by residents of Prince George’s County.
According to Raskin, CSS is on pace for similar numbers this year.
‘‘We are probably close to the same amount in fiscal year 2009,” she said. ‘‘We are working on a plan now to help defray the cost of transportation and be able to [help clients to] continue coming to the pantries.”
CSS, which operates out of the Chapel of the Incarnation in Brandywine, utilized various fundraisers, grants and donations to meet a fiscal 2008 operating budget of $133,500. According to Raskin, CSS also applies for small grants through the Maryland Emergency Food Program every year. This year’s grant was for $9,000.
The increased costs of food, gas, and other utility and medical bills they help their clients pay make balancing its budget more challenging, Raskin said.
‘‘We have seen the average bill for a client on our assistance program nearly double in the past couple of months,” said Raskin.
CSS did receive a grant from the Department of Social Services this year, and accepted a donation of 17,705 pounds of food and personal hygiene items from the nonprofit Feed The Children.
‘‘In terms of food, some of the stores are not able to give as much as they did in the past, but we have been blessed that they are able to give at all and we thank them so much for their contribution,” said CSS founding member and former Governor Volunteer Service Award recipient Catherine Brooks, who also coordinates the Baden Food Pantry.
Volunteer Marjory George of Clinton, one of nearly 74 people who regularly donate their time to CSS, said the state of the economy will not stop her from helping out.
‘‘It’s not going to affect me. I would like to think that people wouldn’t stop supporting this project here,” she said. ‘‘We complain about the gas prices, but there are people who have less.”
Even as it endures an occasional financial setback, CSS volunteers still are determined to help their neighbors, client Darlene Kay said.
‘‘It’s like I have a second family here. It pulls us all together to help each other out in any way that you can,” she said. ‘‘We look out for each other.”
E-mail Adrian Gaskin at agaskin@gazette.net.
