Matthew’s Hope cuts services as rising costs, demand strain budget
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —
Matthew’s Hope is cutting services and asking the community for help after rising costs, declining donations and increased demand pushed the nonprofit beyond its budget.
The organization, which serves people experiencing homelessness in Orange and Brevard counties, has spent about $468,000 more than budgeted during the past year, founder and CEO Scott Billue said.
“What we didn’t plan for, and don’t know how to plan for, is just this huge influx of new people that we have never seen before,” Billue said.
Matthew’s Hope provides medical and mental health care, transportation, food and other services. Billue said the nonprofit serves about 1,300 people each week and registers roughly 100 new clients weekly, that is up from about 15 a week in years past.
At the same time, food and fuel costs have increased while donations have declined. The strain is visible in the nonprofit’s food pantry, where shelves that were once full now have sit empty with less variety.
“We cannot give what we don’t have,” Billue said. “We tried to do that as long as we could, and I finally had to make the decision that if this nonprofit was going to continue, we just had to pull back.”
Billue said the organization has reduced some daily services, primarily through its donation-supported food pantry. More cuts could come before the end of the year if conditions do not improve.
“This isn’t just, ‘Quick, put a Band-Aid on it,’ and it’s going to stop. It’s not,” Billue said. “I suspect that, at least through the year, unless we see some quick changes, we are probably going to be doing more cuts.”
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