This update article from the Argus shares how the Genesis Project just got United Way funding. The United Way's funds will help resource a full-time casework for the Community Outreach as well as provide matching funds for churches that decide to join the project (in my opinion, the United Way also adds considerable credibility to the project as well). As blogged about earlier, Hillcrest is joining this project and will be going public during Sunday's services with a goal for how many families we desire to partner with.
The additional funding for the new project probably couldn't come at a better time as Sioux Falls may be experiencing some of the ripples of the national economic slowdown. In this week's news alone, Sioux Falls learned of major layoffs at Citibank and additional layoffs at Lodgenet. While the impact to Sioux Falls workers is not yet known, the locals are getting jittery. I know of several folks who are nervous about their jobs, experiencing a cut back in hours, and/or looking for new or additonal employment.
We had one prayer request today from someone who wondered how the churches would deal with a probable increase in the needs that their people (and those outside their church) will have. While the Genesis Project is one such answer, the ironic reality could be that in a time such as this when needs will be on the rise, charitable donations could plateau or drop. To put it in economic terms, we could see a scarcity in available resources for people, as the demand for assistance increases while the supply of resources available to meet those needs remains static or contracts.
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