PARK CITY, Utah — The Live PC Give PC fundraising event feels a little different this year, considering the majority of nonprofits involved are seeing an increase in need and are relying on donations now more than ever.
The fundraiser gives the community a chance to meet a bunch of non-profits and make donations.
“With the lack of SNAP benefits or the cost of living, people are needing to make choices between food and gasoline, and that's just not right in a community like ours, so our community members are stepping up," said Park City Community Foundation CEO Joel Zarrow,:
Go Live PC Give PC is hosted by the foundation and allows residents tp choose from over 140 nonprofits to make donations.
“All of the money goes to that nonprofit. So none of it comes to the community foundation," Zarrow explained.
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It seemed that no matter which organization I spoke with, they all had one thing in common.
“We definitely have seen an increase in patients coming to the People's Health Clinic. They want to be able to have a place that they can call a health home," said the clinic's Director of Operations, Dalia Gonzalez.
“I look outside our building every single day and the line for our food pantry is longer and longer," said Melissa Zimmerman, Executive Director, Jewish Family Services. "Increased mental health needs that are really consequences of all the stress that they're facing.”
“We received a record number of applications for basic needs assistance, that's people needing help with utility bills, rent. They're really facing a lot of financial uncertainty, and they're kind of freaking out," added Jess Bryant, Deputy Director of Christian Center of Park City.
Gonzalez says the nonprofits rely on the donations to help provide for the uninsured community of Wasatch and Summit counties.
“We want to be able to use these funds to be able to operate on a daily basis, and to be able to have the staff because our patients, just like an insured individual, deserves to experience a health facility that anybody can have access to," she explained.
Jewish Family Service needs the donated funds to support their pantry and mental health counseling.
“In times like this, where everyone is under so much pressure, and our community is in such great need. A day like this means the world; it also gives hope. And I think that's priceless," said Zimmerman
The Christian Center of Park City also offers food bank, financial and mental health assistance, but they wouldn’t be able to operate without the community.
“Those donations are one of our main revenue streams. It's the way that we help people. It's the way that we do outreach into the community, and the way that we really do transform lives,” shared Bryant.
Despite money being tight this year, Bryant says they’ve been lucky to still receive a significant number of donors.
“Super blessed right now," she said. "People are knowing what's going on in the community with a government shutdown and all the things surrounding that, and so we have gotten a lot of great donations coming in. But again, the need is high.”
No matter the organization, Zarrow believes the community needs to lean on each other.
“This action of empathy, of giving to your neighbors, of giving to your community, brings people together. And it's really you can feel it here," he said.
Donations can be made HERE and will close at midnight
