An increasing number of Conejo Valley residents are turning to their churches and synagogues for both spiritual and financial help during these economically challenging times.

The requests include not only spiritual support but also employment resources, psychological counseling, food and health services, and help paying the bills.

Religious institutions are doing what they can to meet the needs of congregants and others in the community.

"I think people are seeking spirituality and a sense of connectedness with God and with the community," said Rabbi Ted Reiter of Temple Adat Elohim in Thousand Oaks. "People want to know that they're not alone."

The temple has seen an increase in requests to help pay membership and religious school fees, Adat Elohim Executive Director Aliza Goland said. Reiter has noticed more attendees at services as well as those requesting to meet with him individually.

Adat Elohim started a networking group for the unemployed on Tuesday mornings. Temple organizers, who expected 12 people to show up, were surprised when 45 arrived, and the meeting had to be moved into a larger room. Members in various industries, such as interview and technology experts, have offered their professional help, Reiter said.

"We're proud we're able to offer it and very sad that people need it," Reiter said. "I've never seen such difficult times."

To get through the challenges, it helps for people to have a positive attitude, Reiter said. Being overwhelmed about the state of the economy is not going to change anything, he said. Instead, being grateful for what we do have will make a difference.

"There's a lot of power in that, a lot of comfort in that, in knowing that choice is really in our hands," Reiter said.

St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church in Westlake Village is receiving increasing requests from people of all ages asking for help paying their mortgages or rents, said the Rev. Patrick O'Dwyer, church pastor.

"Each time there's a huge dip in the economy the need gets greater," O'Dwyer said. "This is the most difficult one I have seen."

O'Dwyer believes that people are also seeking spirituality to help them get through tough times.

"They want a sense of God's presence in their lives," O'Dwyer said. "They're really begging for help right now, to their God and to us in organized religion."

Congregants have been donating food, clothing, toiletries and other items to help people in need. One 12yearold parishioner took it upon himself to deliver bags and pick up donations from his neighbors.

"Young people are learning a great lesson in these tough times as well," O'Dwyer said.

Congregants of Temple Aliyah in Woodland Hills received a letter offering a variety of resources, including counseling; mortgage and tax assistance; vocational services; and legal referrals for those dealing with bankruptcy issues. Many members offered their expertise. Temple membership has remained strong despite the economic downturn, said Executive Director David Brook.

"We always notice in the synagogue communities that during times like this, and even times that are much more catastrophic like 911, that there is a return to spirituality," Brook said.

He has been surprised by calls from people in professions he once considered recession-proof, such as doctors, lawyers and accountants.

"No one in our generation in synagogue leadership has been through this," Brook said. "It's all new territory."

At Church in the Canyon in Calabasas, people are seeking not only monetary assistance but also other kinds of support, said the Rev. Bob Bjerkaas, pastor.

"Someone came in the other day wanting to know if someone in the church could tutor their son. He's falling behind, and they can't afford a tutor right now," Bjerkaas said.

He agrees with Reiter that a good attitude can make a difference in helping people weather their difficult times.

"There is contentment in every circumstance. That's what the Bible has to offer, a way to be content in every circumstance," Bjerkaas said.

Since January, Chabad of the Conejo leaders noticed that their adult education classes have all been full, an unprecedented occurrence, according to Rabbi Moshe Bryski.

"This down feeling in the country that things are not going well does make people seek something bigger than them, something spiritual, something connected to God," Bryski said.

Chabad ran a campaign to help people prepare for Passover earlier this month.

"People don't want to say to their families, 'We're not going to have a Passover seder this year,'" Bryski said. "It's from the Passover celebration that we get inspiration for the rest of the year."

The Rev. Dick Thompson, pastor, has seen rising requests for help at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Westlake Village. More people have come for healthcare at the Westminster Free Clinic and at a weekly homeless shelter meal program, both sponsored by the church. Leaders are publicizing resources that are available to the public, and appeals for food donations are being made from the pulpit.

"Everyone's saying, 'Yeah, this is miserable, but it makes me more aware of how each day is a gift. I'm glad I've got my family, my friends, my church,'" Thompson said. "It's kind of moving people back to the basics of what life is really all about."