Traverse City Record-Eagle

Newsmakers 2009

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  • Douglas Tesner

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December 21, 2009

Newsmakers: Region felt sting of recession

BY LINDSAY VANHULLE

Editor's note: Newsmakers '09 explores the stories that made headlines in northwestern Michigan in 2009. Read past articles in this series at www.record-eagle.com/newsmakers

TRAVERSE CITY -- Not long ago, Kobi Hall could browse resale stores without seeing many other customers.

Not so anymore. The veteran secondhand shopper -- she planned to visit at least five stores in one day -- isn't the only one skimming the racks these days.

What used to be purely a hobby is fast becoming a necessity for Hall, of Harrison, who limits trips into town and unplugs as many appliances as she can to save money.

"We've made definite changes in our lifestyle," she said. "Learning to live without extras has been a huge thing."

The interesting thing is that these words could have been echoed by any of the clients Hall meets in her job as a social worker. She noticed "an alarming number of people" walking through her office door this year.

The recession in 2009 contributed to lifestyle shifts and lost security for people across the nation, but especially in Michigan, where the country's highest unemployment rates and a government in financial crisis have done little to offer comfort.

This year, we added "bailout" and "furlough" to our collective lexicon, and nonprofit agencies helped more people at the same time they braced for funding cuts.

Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan could lose as much as $100,000 in state aid, Executive Director Cecil McNally said. The organization receives about $130,000 from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority to operate its Goodwill Inn homeless shelter.

"That's a significant amount of money," said McNally, who anticipates 2010 could bring the first wave of recovery. "We'll find ways to make it work."

Goodwill reported a 213 percent increase this fiscal year in the number of food baskets given to community members. Likewise, the Father Fred Foundation in Traverse City recorded 18 percent more visits to its food pantry through November of this year, and 39 percent more requests for cash assistance.

The downturn has forced many consumers to move away from name brands and focus on bargains.

Mark Grebe now buys less expensive groceries and shops secondhand more often. He recently welcomed his adult daughter and grandson home to live with him in Elk Rapids.

He works at a cherry processing plant, but his job is seasonal. He does mechanical work on the side.

"Everything has slowed down," Grebe said. "You have to be careful where your spend your money."

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