LONGVIEW, Texas — East Texas nonprofits are seeing an influx in clients in need of help amid a growing inflation crisis.
According to U.S. News, 64 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Then adding the rise in gas prices, groceries, and rent, it can make for a catastrophic combination, making it harder to make end's meet.
One Love Longview is a nonprofit that serves the unsheltered, uninsured, and underserved.
Amada Veasy, founder and executive director, said it takes a village.
The nonprofit first opened their doors in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the organization is battling inflation and the housing market crisis is sparking an influx of clients.
"We've absolutely seen an increase in clients and we're seeing an increase in homelessness," Veasy said. "So many people don't have a place to call home."
Veasy said One Love Longview believes this is only the beginning. They're not the only nonprofit facing these challenges.
"Other nonprofit agencies and organizations who we have a close relationship with are seeing what were seeing," Veasy said. "Which is sometimes triple and quadruple what we were seeing before."
The Women's Center of East Texas said its staff is expecting more shelter residents than they've had in the last two years.
In a statement, the nonprofit said that it's difficult to measure how much of an impact that COVID-19 and inflation can have on family and sexual violence.
"However, stressors like these can cause abusive behaviors to intensify," the Women's Center of East Texas said.
In response to the rise in need, One Love Longview is growing in size --- 8500 square feet to be exact.
Down each hallway is an additional room, bathroom, or space for counseling or homeless services to expand its outreach to the East Texas community.
Veasy said the community support has kept them thriving.
"The community support for a service like this has really taken us by a surprise," Veasy said.
With a larger spaces, comes more expenses for the fully community-funded organization.
"Every amount counts," Veasy said. "We don't discount the single mamas who have faithfully donated $10 a month."
For a list of their services go to their website.