Service groups feeling the economic squeeze

They were greeted by rows of books, which they could check out and take home for free using their library card.

“It’s a popular program,” said operator Steve Magallanes. “It gives a lot of kids a first library exposure. It generates a lot of excitement.”

The program, which received block grant funding this year to pay visits to local schools and youth centers, has seen steady demand in the past year, according to the report. At Cerritos Elementary, 62% of the students joined the summer reading program via the Bookmobile. Administrators had expected just 25%.

Los Angeles-based Housing Rights Center, which provides counseling and assistance to local residents, assisted more than 1,200 Glendale residents last year — 20% more than anticipated, according to the report.

Catholic Charities’ Loaves and Fishes program, a food pantry that also provides case management and other counseling services — saw a 30% spike in the number of clients, said the program’s coordinator, Lora Young.

With the economic downturn, private and corporate donations also diminish as people’s wallets shrink, she said.

“I don’t think people have the extra money to donate,” she said.