CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Buffalow Family and Friends, a Chesapeake nonprofit that serves seniors, families, and residents in need, is operating with zero dollars in its budget. Buffalow Family and Friends Community Days is asking the community for financial support while it waits for state funding to arrive.
Nichelle Buffalow, executive director and co-founder of Buffalow Family and Friends Community Days, said the organization has no funds available right now.
"We're facing, you know, our operational costs. It's at zero right now. We're at zero for operating. We have no funds at this time. We are waiting on funding from the state," Buffalow said.
The nonprofit, which established operations in Chesapeake in November 2010, costs approximately $30,000 a month to run — and that figure does not include salaries. No one at the organization currently draws a salary.
"It costs us to operate on a monthly basis close to $30,000 a month, and that's with no one getting any salaries," Buffalow said. "The operational costs to keep the lights on, to keep the rent going, to do programming is about $30,000 and that's just averaging because, you know, grocery store prices are higher. The gas prices are higher, the diesel prices are higher."
To stay afloat, Buffalow said the organization has been calling bill collectors and landlords to request extensions while it waits for the money to come through.
"Calling our bill collectors, just like, hey, we need extensions on what we have, you know, to maintain. Calling our landlord being like, our money is coming," Buffalow said. "We've invested a lot into our buildings and we've invested a lot into what we do in Chesapeake. So we're just holding on and we know that it's coming."
In March, the Virginia General Assembly granted Buffalow Family and Friends $400,000 per year to continue its mission. Buffalow said the organization is grateful for that amount but hopes to eventually receive more.
"We're grateful that we received $400,000 from the state this year. However, we hope next year or the year after that we can get to that $1.5 million, which is our total operating budget without salaries," Buffalow said. "We depend on what the state gives us to operate and to fill the needs of the residents of Chesapeake."
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The $400,000 has been approved, but the funds have not yet been released. Buffalow said the delay is due to the procurement process, which she said now takes longer than it did 2 years ago.
"It's a lot of paperwork that we're having to do and we've completed on our end, so we're just waiting for procurement and things to make it happen," Buffalow said.
She said the organization submitted all required paperwork in mid-July as soon as guidelines were provided, and state representatives told her the funding could arrive in 2 to 3 months.
"They say it could be 2 months, could be 3 months, it could be sooner, but it's just all in how we fall in line with procurement," Buffalow said.
The financial strain has forced the organization to cut back on some of its senior community outreach programs, though Buffalow said meal deliveries to bedridden seniors have continued.
"We haven't cut the bedridden meals, but we have cut some of our senior communities that we go out into until we can get our funding," Buffalow said.
Buffalow Family and Friends operates out of 4 buildings, including a resource center, a food warehouse, and a commercial kitchen. The organization runs a STEM program for young people, distributes food weekly to partner agencies, and responds to calls 7 days a week for essential needs ranging from food assistance to homelessness.
"Every day people are in need. Every day people come up. Every day we get new partners that's needing food to supply their community," Buffalow said. "We get calls for any essential need that happens in Chesapeake — we basically get that call."
The organization's bimonthly community market is still operating, but Buffalow said uncertainty looms as August approaches.
"We don't know what's gonna come down the pipeline between now and August as we're getting closer and closer. We have to keep the lights on and keep everything going, so we don't know what will happen to us when August comes," Buffalow said.
Buffalow said this is the worst financial situation the organization has faced in its 16 years of operation. Despite the hardship, Buffalow said she does not believe the organization will shut down.
"I think the state funding is going to come through, and I think our community, once they see this story, they're going to help us keep our doors open," Buffalow said. "More than ever we need funding. We need dollars. Normally we would say product, but right now we need dollars to help us survive, to help us keep the lights on, keep the water on, just keep flowing until we do receive our funding," Buffalow said.
Those who want to help can drop off a check made payable to Buffalo Family and Friends at the organization's location or donate here.
"It's hard to keep afloat, but we're striving to keep afloat. But we don't know what's gonna happen month to month," Buffalow said.
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