Charities see increase in need, turn to donations in holiday season

Local charities are beginning to take in thousands of gifts, clothing and food to distribute to families in need as December opens and the holiday season begins.

And while many organizations have acquired the same amount of donations to date as last year, need is increasing, said Maj. Bruce Smith of the Salvation Army in Durham, which also serves Chapel Hill.

With growing costs and needs, organizations like the Salvation Army are looking to past donors for more help, Smith said.

“We try to get the word out to make donations through our website,” he said.

Ernie Mills co-founded Durham Rescue Mission in 1974. He said his organization, which hosts an annual Christmas Community Dinner and Toy Give-Away open to everyone in the Triangle area, is feeling the effects of the economic downturn.

He said they expect to provide dinner, toys and extra groceries to about 1,500 people at the Dec. 23 event.

“We are in the worst economic conditions I have ever seen in those 38 years. This is due to high mortgage rates, high unemployment — all of these things are adding together,” Mills said.

Smith said the Salvation Army is also collecting toys through its Angel Tree program, in which parents provide their child’s wish list and a person or family who wants to donate can buy an item for the child.

They have received more requests from people hoping their children will be eligible for the program, he said.

“Many people are still calling and they want to be considered for the Angel program, and we are doing whatever we can to respond,” he said.

The Salvation Army currently has enough toys for the first 30 families but hopes to help about 1,000 children through the Angel Tree program this year, Smith said.

“It means so much to the children to have something for Christmas, to have a nice meal and receive something,” he said.

And the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service is looking to provide that warm meal for families in need on Christmas.

John Dorward, associate director of the council, said it provided about 475 meals on Thanksgiving and will provide 450 families with a holiday meal to take home for Christmas.

“Food costs are way up this year, and many people can’t come up with the money to be able to buy a holiday meal,” he said.

He said at this point, the group has just finished Thanksgiving and it is too early to tell if they will have enough for Christmas. But he said groups have shown interest in donating.

Mills said despite hard financial times, he is looking forward to the community coming together during the holidays.

“I love seeing the smiles on the children’s faces that have nothing, as well as the smiles on the faces of those who are giving.”

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