Local churches and social agencies are planning a Christmas dinner for 200 at the Bob Ruud Community Center at 11 a.m. Thursday, similar to the Thanksgiving community dinner.

But when the holiday season giveaways and cheer have vanished, service agencies still struggle to have the funds to continue providing for Pahrump's poor, particularly with today's economy.

"We're going to need Christmas all year long," said Clelia Pinza Garrity, executive director of Nevada Outreach Organization, which includes No To Abuse, Pahrump Family Resource Center and the Family to Family Connection.

A $24,000 grant announced by the United Way of Pioneer Territory last summer was used to fund food programs for the last six months throughout Nye County. The funds are available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency when unemployment rises above a certain level.

"That money expires the 31st of December, so we're just keeping our fingers crossed we'll get some more next year but we won't know until March or April," she said.

The number of families meeting federal poverty guidelines who have used the Family Resource Center's food and clothing services increased 181 percent from 233 families in November 2007 to 423 families in November of this year, Garrity said.

The Thanksgiving food program served 310 families this year, up 143 percent from 216 last year, she said. At Christmas time this year, 423 families -- 730 adults and 918 children -- used the food and toy giveaway program, up 160 percent from 265 last Christmas, Garrity said.

Members of the Nye Community Coalition's monthly social service providers heard enough concerns about Pahrump poverty they formed a poverty outreach committee two months ago.

Outreach committee member Tammi Odegard, the specialty court coordinator, said her program adopted five families this Christmas season. She was surprised to find three children in one family sold their bikes to help their mother get by.

"A lady just came into the drug court last week and she told me she's making $232 a month. I have not been to her home yet but she told me that the roof was leaking everywhere. So it's very substandard housing," Odegard said.

Nye County Health and Human Services Director Shirley Trummell said some retirees are living only on their Social Security payments or disability.

"They can't have much more than $600 a month, so it's real difficult, especially if your rent has gone up siginficantly," Trummell said.

A 2005-2007 American community survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, before the economy nose-dived this year, showed 12.3 percent of families in Pahrump were living below the poverty level, more than the national average of 9.8 percent. The census bureau figured 16.6 percent of Pahrump individuals were living below the poverty line; the national average is 13.3 percent.

The number of recipients in the food stamp program increased in Nye and Esmeralda counties from 3,956 in November 2007 to 4,831 in November 2008, a 22 percent jump. The payments under that program in the two counties increased from $378,549 to $529,447, or almost 40 percent, according to statistics provided by the Nevada Welfare Office.

Bob Rearden, statistician for the state welfare department, attributed the increase in food stamps to the economy as well as greater outreach to senior citizens and the fact there's less stigma using the electronic benefits transfer card instead of actual food stamp coupons at the checkout line.

Enrollment in Temporary Assistance to Needy Families dropped from 539 to 459 in the two-county area, Rearden attibuted that to a requirement to work after two years on the program.

Enrollment in the Children's Health Assistance Program in Nye and Esmeralda counties rose from 531 recipients to 743 from November 2007 to November 2008, almost a 40 percent increase according to state welfare statistics.

The rolls of people eligible for Medicaid rose from 4,525 recipients to 4,837 in that year's time.

Trummell said applications for household utility assistance with Nye County rose from 34 in the last half of 2007 to 51 for the second half of 2008. Requests for rent assistance increased from 45 to 66.

Trummell said the applicants for county rent assistance must have a job. The figures don't include the really destitute.

In Tonopah, where the county health and human services office assists with state welfare, the number of applicants went up from 70 to 108, she said.

Trummell said the state cut a grant for rent and utilities from $33,000 down to $20,000 this year.

"I don't know if we'll have any more next year, which we get in about July," Trummell said.

County health and human services received notice there were 1,525 Nye County patients checked in to hospitals nationwide between July 1 and Nov. 30, 2008 that hospital officials believe don't have insurance and can't pay the bill, Trummell said. Of that total, county workers opened only 136 medical indigent program cases, she said.

"A lot of people just don't respond. So your hospital and your ER here, when they tell you they're having money problems, a lot of that 1,525 is Desert View. A lot of it, a significant amount, is Nye Regional," Trummell said.

Garrity said she sees people living together who can't afford to pay rent. She said there are 12 families, each with 10 children, registered under the food and clothing giveaway program. Garrity said she witnessed three people in their 40s die last winter who were disabled but couldn't get Medicaid or Medicare.

"Before I started working for Nevada Outreach Training Organization I came to work for Nathan Adelson Hospice, and the number of elderly people who are living in isolation and poverty in Pahrump is just really astounding," Garrity said.

Brian Nelson, a counselor for Nevada JobConnect, said statistics on unemployment don't reflect the true picture. Nevada's unemployment rate just rose to 8 percent in November, the highest rate since February 1984.

Nevada JobConnect holds an orientation session twice each week to acquaint job seekers with their various employment programs.

"Of the 20 people a week, maybe on average, that show up for orientation, only four of them are on unemployment. That means 16 are not part of the statistics you read in the paper," Nelson said.

Bill Verbeck, director of the Great Basin College Pahrump campus, in advocating for a development agreement with Corrections Corporation of America before county commissioners last week, estimated 20 percent of Pahrump's population was either unemployed or underemployed.

Nelson said he deals with clients who lack transportation, have drug problems, lack a general equivalency degree or face other barriers to getting a job.

While the Pahrump Great Basin College campus offers programs in nursing and computer programming, Nelson said people interested in obtaining a commercial driver's license, studying a heating/air-conditioning technician program or auto mechanics have to go to Las Vegas.

Odegard said 28 percent of the people in the drug court program are unemployed. Twenty-two percent are working, but their hours have been significantly reduced in the last two months.

Drug court requires enrollees in the program to have a job or attend school.

"They're probably nationwide issues but are perhaps somewhat compounded by the pre-existing poverty in Pahrump," Garrity said.

Stacy Smith, director of NyE Communities Coalition, said Pahrump hasn't had many support services, being this close to Las Vegas.

"We're having a meeting coming up with rural mental health. Right now Pahrump has services. But based on what I heard from a couple people today, I don't expect that to always be the case," Smith said.

Pahrump Fire Chief Scott Lewis even attended the poverty outreach meetings.

"Our call volume for attempted suicides has been up. We've also noticed a number of different issues with living conditions and attempted self-medication," Lewis said.

In some cases, people are cutting back on their medication to save money, he said.

"It's hard to pinpoint the cause, but the trends are coinciding with what's going on in the economy," Lewis said.

Nelson said to bring Pahrump out of the slump the community needs good-paying jobs -- the proposed shrimp farm, renewable energy projects, the federal detention center -- where people can work, enhance their skills and have a spillover effect in the community.

"What people need to realize is that most everyone is like a step away from being needy. That's the problem. Because of the economy, anybody who is currently employed could be unemployed tomorrow," Trummell said.

Host a student

The NWS Peace program, a nonprofit and CSIET-approved program, is seeking families to host a high school student from Ecuador, Turkey, Brazil, Vietnam, Belgium, Finland and other countries for the 2009 school year.

Students are 15-18 years old, are pre-screened, speak English, have medical insurance and spending money for clothes, school supplies and entertainment.

Host families are not paid but may be able to claim a $50 per-month tax deduction for charitable contributions.

Students require a bed, meals and a caring family.

Early placement is key and students must be matched with a family by July 1.

Call 866-846-3977 or visit www.nw-services.com for more information.

NDOT sign support

The Nevada Department of Transportation will be installing sign supports for the service clubs and churches of Pahrump.

All of those organizations interested in the programs should contact the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce to complete an application.

The chamber will determine which organizations meet the criteria.

Qualified groups will receive two sign blanks to be printed/completed at their expense.

Call 727-5800 or contact Kent Sears, NDOT Traffic Office in Las Vegas, 702-385-6500.

Computer users meet

The Pahrump Computer Users Group will meet at 1 p.m. Jan. 5 in the large meeting room of the library.

The program for this month will cover finding information and help on your computer and the Internet presented by Don Norvell.

Mike Erwin will give a presentation on High Definition technology and standards, plus a demonstration of Blu-Ray technology.

Ample parking is provided in the rear of the library and is preferred. Handicapped parking is available.

The meeting is free and open to the public. To have questions addressed at the meeting, e-mail them in advance to don@dnorvell.com or call Don, 727-1246.

Freecycle to recycle

The Internet group, www.groups.yahoo.com/group/pahrumpfreecycle is part of a national organization of message boards where members offer those things that might be used by someone else rather than throw them away.

The group is locally owned and new members are always welcome.

For more information, call Veronica at 751-9324.