Charities come together to stop double-dipping

By Julie Graham - Special to The Herald

It's a monster of a database, containing the information on close to 1,500 families, that prevents duplication in local agencies' effort to provide York County families with Christmas toys and food.

The United Way of York County's Beth Covington, director of marketing and communications, brings together information on the families being served through 11 local organizations, including the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots and Toys for Joy.

The Empty Stocking Fund, an annual holiday assistance effort organized by The Herald to help needy families in the newspaper's readership area, has partnered with the United Way of York County this year to provide food and toys to those who otherwise might go without.

For the first time this year, the partnership between the United Way and the Empty Stocking Fund will allow boxes of food to be given to families when they pick up their toys.

United Way's effort to prevent duplication in the local holiday assistance service also ensures that the money donated to the Empty Stocking Fund helps as many people as possible.

Covington compiles and compares the United Way's list of families who have applied for assistance and calls local agencies. If the list shows a child receiving gifts from more than one charity, the agencies are in charge of notifying families.

“You would be surprised. As many families who are asking for help, there are considerably few duplicates,” said Covington, who estimated that so far 41 families were on two or more lists. “I'm diligent in making sure my facts are correct.”

The database is comprehensive; it includes the guardian's and child's name, the last four digits of their Social Security numbers, address, phone numbers, birth dates and special requests.

This system of checks has been managed by the United Way for years. Local organizations, including Tender Heart Ministries in York, have come to rely on the system, knowing that a little communication translates into more families getting help at the holidays.

“It's been a blessing for us. We are a small nonprofit,” said Ainslee House, founder and executive director for Tender Heart, which provides food and toys to more than 300 children in York County at Christmas. “The database helps us make sure we are helping people who have true, legitimate needs.”

For Tender Heart, there have been 23 duplicates so far this year.

“The United Way found them for us, and they came off our list,” House explained. “It enables us to help others. Every needy child should get something for Christmas.”

Most of the organizations forewarn the families who ask for help that the United Way manages the database and prevents double-dipping. Families signing up for the Salvation Army Angel Tree sign an agreement that they will not go to another agency to seek assistance, Lt. Julie Ingleheart said. This year, the organization is providing Christmas gifts for about 1,000 children in York, Chester and Lancaster counties, she said.

Some families might not realize they are on more than one agency's list, Covington said. Another scenario is that a family signed up with one organization and, knowing that assistance is limited, they filled out an application with another organization.

“If all the organizations work together, all the families get served,” Covington said. “All the families understand that. They just want to keep the magic alive in their house on Christmas morning.”

Want to help?

Contributions to the Empty Stocking Fund, an annual effort organized by The Herald to raise money for needy families in the newspaper's readership area, can be mailed to:

P.O. Box 10921, Rock Hill, SC 29731

Or dropped off at:

The Herald, 132 W. Main St., Rock Hill

Contributors' names will be published in The Herald.