Mandel School’s Robert Fischer says social services agencies seeing major changes

Holiday Spirit, Plain Dealer Charities’ annual campaign, reaches out to the struggling local residents even as economy improves

The Plain Dealer: Though Ohio’s economy has improved, advocates of the poor say there has been no recovery for the state’s neediest residents, and burdens on the social service agencies that serve them have not lessened either. Robert Fischer, co-director of the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development, said non-profit social services agencies are undergoing enormous funding changes and the political climate has discouraged government funding for social programs.