The dramatic economic downtown that has plagued the nation certainly hasn’t been lost on the Plateau where jobs have been lost, sales have been curtailed and the need for assistance has grown.

And, as much as everyone hopes things have bottomed out, some of the better indicators show the situation is as dire as ever.

As the financial skies darken, salvation for some families is found at Plateau Outreach Ministries. Through its Samaritan Project and food bank, POM is able to help families keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

“We have not seen things turn the corner,” said Kimberly Fish, Plateau Outreach Ministries director. On a recent Monday, she said, there were six people lined up in the POM office, all waiting to inquire about receiving assistance – and that was just 10 minutes after she opened the door.

To tell how things have gone from bad to worse, Fish only has to look at the numbers she compiled for her 2009 report.

In 2008, POM helped 537 clients; during 2009, the number increased to 683. The number of households spared from eviction due to a POM voucher jumped from 59 to 79. While there were 92 families spared from the darkness in 2008, POM helped 191 last year make their payments to Puget Sound Energy. With city of Enumclaw utilities, POM helped 43 clients in 2008 and almost twice as many in 2009.

In POM’s world, a “client” is a household and could include many individuals helped.

Fish said she’s hearing all the time about greater number of people losing jobs. Compounding the problem, she said, is the delay between layoffs and the start of unemployment benefits.

Oddly, while the demand for Samaritan Project benefits has climbed steadily, the demand at the POM food bank has tapered off.

“It’s a lot of work to get people to use a food bank,” Fish said. In Washington, she said, 65 percent of the eligible families do not take advantage of free food offerings.

During the first quarter of 2009, Fish said, POM was able to provide food for 1,094 households. In the fourth quarter of the year the demand has slipped to 866 households, she said.

Churches sometimes

can lend a hand

The Rev. Fred Davis is a longtime pastor at Enumclaw’s Calvary Presbyterian Church and has been active in efforts to feed the area’s poor.

“I don’t see that things have gotten better,” he said, noting that four people associated with his congregation admitted to losing jobs last week alone. “We’re seeing more and more people stopping by the church asking for help.”

His first answer for people who are struggling is Plateau Outreach Ministries.

“The great thing abut POM is it’s a central clearinghouse,” Davis said, explaining both the variety of services it offers and its ability to keep people from abusing free social services.

“Unfortunately, there are some who work the system,” Davis said. By keeping things under one roof at POM, help is directed to where it is truly needed.

And the need truly exists, Davis said, noting the number of families seeking help has increased in recent months.

Davis has seen the impact of the long recession on the faces of those gathered in a homeless camp just a few miles north of Enumclaw. Coming together in the Green River Gorge are those living in tents, cars and trailers without the benefit of sewer services.

Local churches have, on a couple of occasions, spread the word about a free meal, prepared pots of soup and headed to the camp. In November, eight churches participated as part of a “Faith in Action” Sunday; members gathered at The Summit to make soup, took it to the banks of the river and fed those who are down on their luck.

Schools see how

economy impacts kids

Another way to measure the region’s economic health is by the number of children receiving free and reduced-price lunches at the local public schools.

Tracy Holyan, director of food services for the Enumclaw School District, said her numbers aren’t as high as in other districts, but still show a pressing need.

“We’re a little lower than some areas, but we’re up a bit from 2007,” she said, explaining that 27 percent of the district’s students receive some type of assistance.

In late January, there were 1,115 district students qualifying for a free lunch and another 278 paying just 40 cents, with the rest subsidized. The cost for a school lunch, she said, is $2.25 for elementary students and $2.75 for those in middle school and high school.

Across the county line in the White River School District, Heidi Kidd has witnessed her numbers increasing as well.

A year ago, she said, 17 percent of the district’s students were receiving free lunches; that number has climbed to 23 percent in 2010.

All districts in Washington follow the same guidelines, Kidd said, explaining that the rules are set by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. To qualify for help, a family of three must have an annual income of less that $33,874; for a family of five, the level jumps to $47,712.

Housing numbers

offer a mixed bag

One of the areas hit most dramatically by the lingering recession is the housing industry.

Longtime Buckley resident Bob McKean, who makes his living selling homes, said things aren’t nearly as bad here as elsewhere.

“We seem to be insulated at least a little bit,” he said, singling out parts of the nation where foreclosures are much more common and property values have plummeted deeper.

McKean’s statistics are gleaned through Multiple Listing Service records and relate only to Pierce County. They show home prices dropped, on average, by 13 percent in the last year. That’s good news for those with good credit and a job, so home sales have increased notably during that time. Continued low interest rates contribute to the buyer’s market.

The unfortunate foreclosures and “short sales” – where property sells for less than is owned – are not going to end soon, McKean believes.