Some sectors of Silicon Valley may be prospering, but there is another side to the valley, that of individuals and families struggling to make ends meet. Their number is rising, according to a non-profit agency official, and striking is these days is many of those in need are younger clients, many of whom are students.
Kohinoor Chakravarty, the new director of Development and Communications for West Valley Community Services (WVCS), recently painted the a picture of the plight of the needy for Silicon Valley REALTORS® when she presented an overview of the agency's services and clients at a Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® Cupertino/Sunnyvale District tour meeting.
WVCS is a non-profit, community-based agency that provides direct assistance and referral services to needy individuals and families annually in the communities of Cupertino, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, West San Jose and the unincorporated mountain regions. The agency provides needy individuals and families with basic needs, family support services and housing services including referrals, food pantry, clothing, rotating shelter, transitional housing, affordable housing, financial assistance, family support and case management services.
Chakravarty said the agency's services are mostly volunteer-driven. WVCS has 16 staff members, 600 volunteers and serves over 8,000 clients. That's a big jump from 7,419 served during the 2012-2013 fiscal year, said the director. She indicated the agency has also observed the age of clients it serves has gone down - 19 percent of clients are between 18-24 years old and 43 percent are under 18. The agency is seeing many students who are homeless and hungry.
According to the agency, there are 200 students from De Anza College who are homeless. Their families cannot afford the rising rents in the area and have moved away. The students have chosen to stay so they can finish their studies. Since they cannot afford to rent an apartment, some couch-surf; others live in their cars.
"It's a sad situation," said Chakravarty. In response to the rising needs of homeless and hungry students, she announced WVCS will be establishing food pantries at the De Anza and West Valley community colleges.
Currently 1,614 individuals are served through the WVCS food pantry and 770,515 pounds of food are distributed to clients. There are 231 individuals enrolled in food stamps, free/reduced lunches and health insurance. The agency provides below market housing, which currently has a very long waiting list.
WVCS also provides $100,615 in emergency financial assistance to 69 households. This service provides one-time assistance to families who are short on rent or need money for medicine or emergency car repairs. So they can go to work.
Among the agency's special programs are its holiday food baskets, which are distributed to 212 needy families; holiday shopping spree serving 593 families; and its Back-to-School event, which helps 120 children shop for clothes for school.
Chakravarty thanked the REALTORS® for supporting the agency's backpack program each year. SILVAR has furnished both West Valley Community Services and Sunnyvale Community Services with 60-70 new backpacks each year. The agency then fills the backpacks with school supplies.
"I want to thank you all for supporting our backpack program. We have had a huge response and it has received wide smiles from the children who are so happy to receive them," said Chakravarty to the REALTORS®.
In addition to opening food pantries at the community colleges, the WVCS executive director announced the agency will be starting a mobile care service. With a newly acquired vehicle, the agency twill be dropping off basic food and health services to its beneficiaries, since many clients travel two hours to receive the services.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
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