- Many people use the holiday season as a time to give back to charities and non-profits.
- After the holidays, many people stop volunteering and donating to the organizations.
- Susan Cancro of Advent House Ministries in Lansing says despite the holiday giving, the need for help continues year-round
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm your neighborhood reporter Colin Jankowski here in Lansing. While the holidays may be over, the need for giving back in our neighborhoods continues.
“This will be my 30th year,” Susan Cancro said.
Susan Cancro is the Executive Director of Advent House Ministries in Lansing.
“Our focus has always been to serve those most at risk,” she said.
The organization aims to help people experiencing homelessness in the city by providing needs like food and shelter to those in need. She says in all her time as director, the problem is the worst she's seen.
“In 30 years, I have not seen homelessness this bad,” Cancro said.
According to the most recent data from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, more than 500 people may be homeless on a given night in the Lansing area.
“As homelessness, housing, economic crises grow, the problem grows,” Cancro said. “And so this past year it got very busy. The problem is, we tried to address it and it was greater than our resources.”
Susan says the organization receives an increase in interest to help every year around the holidays.
“During Christmas we always get more offers of help,” she said. “And then after Christmas it does sort of dissipate.”
Keeping that interest into the new year has been the challenge.
“By late January, February, people are back to their own lives,” Cancro said. “The need continues throughout the year. And it doesn't stop.”
Susan says there are plenty of ways to help.
“We've had people make sack lunches when they couldn't come in and do meals,” she said. “We've had people...Sometimes they can call and help us by supporting, talking to people about what we're doing. Passing the word that there's good help out there, and there's people trying to make a difference. Everything helps. It makes a difference.”
You can visit the organization's website for more information on how you can get involved.
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
