Huntington City Mission

Private contributions to the Huntington City Mission have declined by eight percent between October 2008, and April, 2009.

Even with the decline, Vanetta Johnson, director of finance for the City Mission, said the organization is still managing to provide enough food and shelter to people in need.

She said the organization, “has to assume the reason for the decline is the overall economy,” and if the economy gets even worse, she’s not sure how the organization will be affected.

According to the organization’s registration statement, the amount of income derived from fund-raising totaled just over $1.6 million, but the organization paid $117,411 in fund-raising expenses, which is a seven percent disbursement.

Administrative and program expenses totaled over $1.4 million.

In 2007, the organization’s tax return listed six board members, but only one was paid as the executive director of the City Mission.

The organization also received $282,730 from government grants or private foundations last year to provide adequate food and shelter for the homeless and low-income.

Since 1939, the Huntington City Mission has had one purpose: “to be able to feed the homeless and low-income in the community and shelter the homeless,” according to the organization’s registration statement.

With contributions declining, the organization may have a difficult time providing that service to the community.

Jack Bazemore, president of the board of directors for the Huntington City Mission, said, “We feed more and house more now than usual.”

He said individuals who stay at the mission receive three meals a day and any people from the community who come in for a meal are fed as well.

“We feed a lot of people, 1,000s of people,” Bazemore said.

Bazemore has been at the City Mission for thirty years and said, “(The economy) fluctuates certainly up and down to some extent.”

Johnson said the organization’s biggest donor is confidential and said the mission is not a United Way agency, but individuals can designate their United Way donation to the City Mission.

Also, Bazemore said the organization, “netted $35,000,” at a golf tournament the organization arranged in June, 2009.

To raise that amount of money is, “very unusual,” he said because golf tournaments only bring in “about $12,000 to $15,000.”

That money will help provide food and adequate shelter for struggling members of the community.

Johnson said she is not worried about the organization closing at this point and is secure in knowing contributions are still coming in.

For now, the Huntington City Mission will continue to serve the low-income and homeless in the community and surrounding areas.