Economy Has Bigger Impact on City's Non-Profits Than Rise in Population, Diversity

According to , the city of Stamford — and Fairfield County as a whole — has increased in population as well as diversity. While a small amount of white and black residents in Stamford have moved away, Hispanic, Asian and other immigrant populations are on the rise. So what does this mean for the non-profit charitable organizations that serve these communities?

"Organizations that provide social services to a particular community are very impacted by the nature of that community," Michael Johnston, CEO of the , told Patch. "If the area is seeing an increase in the diversity of cultures and/or languages, the non-profits have to make sure that they have the right tools to bridge any gaps. You’re required to think carefully about the services you provide and how you communicate those services."

The United Way of Western Connecticut, which provides educational opportunities, promotes financial stability and supports affordable healthcare for families in need, currently serves Stamford, as well as northern Fairfield and southern Litchfield counties. Like most non-profits in the area, United hires employees that can speak two or more languages, but there are additional barriers that can get in the way.

For example, one of UW of WC’s most recent initiatives is battling childhood obesity. According to Johnston, initiatives like these won't be successful if the cultural make-up of the area isn’t taken into consideration.

"We've learned that there are many ethnic groups in Fairfield County that have certain cultural and familial recipes and are not willing to change because it's a part of their background," he said. "When we're reaching out to raise awareness about childhood obesity, we have to cognizant and work within in their comfort levels."

In recognizing this factor, the organization is sponsoring cooking classes that teach Hispanic families how to cook their native dishes in a healthier way with just a few subtle changes.

Income Makes the Difference, Not Change in Diversity

While some non-profits are actively responding to the changes that 2010 Census figures show, others are reacting to changes that have nothing to do with the Census at all.

Valarie Shultz-Wilson, president & CEO of the , which serves Fairfield and New Haven counties, told Patch that while the organization recently hired an ESL program coordinator to work its increasing amount of Spanish-speaking clients, most of the changes that have been made over the past few years have been in response to the economy.

"We've had an uptick in clients based on income more than anything else," she said. "People have lost their jobs and are going through foreclosures, and the majority of them are not brown, especially in our area."

Shultz-Wilson said that with Stamford-based companies like UBS and GE downsizing as a result of the recession, residents that are white and/or over the age of 50 are depending on the Urban League to help them get back into the workforce. As a result, the organization opened a training center specifically for 50+ workers looking to learn computer skills so that they can be competitive in the current market and find economically sustainable positions.

"When I was growing up, the plumbers were the middle class," Shultz-Wilson said. "Those jobs can't be outsourced. We need to find jobs and skills that will allow our families back into that environment and that doesn't exist at a lot of companies around here. We find ourselves having to shift the focus and to meet the demands of the new normal."

In terms of the change in population, Shultz-Wilson said she has also noticed a trend where younger white residents leave the county and/or state to attend college and don't return because they can't afford to live in the area. Simultaneously, the immigrant population remains in the area, shares expenses with extended family members and raises a larger amount of children.

And whether it's due to the economy or the change in population, the Urban League is seeing a large uptick in the amount of residents looking to start their own businesses.

"That is why we've opened an entrepreneurial training center where teach people how to start their own business, provide incubator spaces and back office support," Shultz-Wilson said. "We felt that we were uniquely positioned to do so because we have this long history of economic empowerment."

Jason T. Shaplen, CEO of , which provides social services to the homeless population in Stamford, told Patch that the increase in the city’s increase in diversity has had little impact on the organization.

"Homelessness has no barriers with respect to color," he said. "Anyone can become homeless, so the Census figures aren't affecting us as much as how difficult it is economically."

In fact, according to a report released by the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, the state’s emergency shelter and transitional housing clients overall were most likely to report being white (45 percent) and most adults without children utilizing the state’s emergency shelters were also white (54 percent).

"[Stamford] is a very tough city in the sense that it's one of the most expensive in the country," Shaplen said. “For a single mother with two children trying to get off the streets, they would have to pay $1,500 a month for a two-bedroom apartment. We must create affordable housing and workforce housing so that the people that service this area can actually live here."