The country’s economic problems have hit charities as well, with demand for groceries, clothing and housing assistance climbing steadily as donations slow.
“We’re starting to see middle-class families coming in asking for assistance,” said Salvation Army spokeswoman Stephanie Gustafson. “These people used to be our donors, and now they’re asking for donations. Some of them are college-educated people who are having trouble with medical bills, losing their jobs or having mortgage problems.”
The Salvation Army expects to receive more than 20,000 requests in Colorado for assistance with food, clothing and Christmas toys this season. That is on top of the 2,200 hot meals they expect to serve at the Colorado Convention Center on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
The food is donated by King Soopers and Safeway stores and is prepared, in large part, by the staff of The Inverness Hotel.
Demand for family assistance is also up at the Jeffco Action Center, with donations slowing down.
“For the third straight month, we have experienced a double-digit increase in families and individuals who are desperate for help,” said Mag Strittmatter, executive director of the center. “Clearly we are the bellwether of the economic downturn, which is showing up daily in our lobby.”
Strittmatter said demand for donated food and clothing last month was up about 20 percent over last year. The center provides food, clothing and other assistance to more than 25,000 families in Jefferson County.
At the Denver Rescue Mission downtown, demand is up at least 10 percent while donations are down about 8 percent from last year, said spokeswoman Greta Walker.
Meals alone at the Lawrence Street center were up by 7,000 last month, she said. Last year, the organization served 600,000 meals to homeless people.
The mission has set a goal of collecting 6,000 frozen turkeys this holiday season. This week, Dalbey Education, a Westminster-based organization promoting home schooling, donated 700 turkeys to start the food drive.
Walker said the birds are packed into about 1,250 food boxes to be handed out for Thanksgiving, served in about 1,000 Thanksgiving meals on Thanksgiving Day, and distributed free to churches and smaller nonprofit groups to be handed out to their constituencies. The remaining frozen turkeys will be served as hot meals at the shelter during the upcoming year, she said.
Mike McPhee: 303-954-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com
Contacts for donations
Salvation Army, (303) 295-2107
Jeffco Action Center, (303) 237-7704
Denver Rescue Mission, (303) 294-0157
