The Salvation Army's Enterprise Team filled more than 1,000 bags with food for needy families at the Augusta Exchange Club Fairgrounds on Wednesday morning.
But more than 800 bags remained empty.
"Right now we're scraping together enough food for our Christmas bags," said Capt. Wilma Mason, Salvation Army administrator. "I know Christmas is tight for everybody, but when people say their one can of peas doesn't count, it does."
The worsening economy is creating a greater demand for food, housing and utilities assistance, said Brooke Howell, community impact director at the United Way of the CSRA, which supports 18 local charities.
The United Way received more than 15,000 phone calls from people requesting assistance last month, a 50 percent increase over the same time last year, Ms. Howell said.
"We're seeing people who have never needed help ... need it this Christmas," Ms. Howell said. "The demand is high, but people are still willing to sacrifice."
According to a survey conducted by World Vision, a humanitarian organization, 49 percent of individuals surveyed are now more likely to give a charitable gift as a holiday present because of the economy.
Golden Harvest Food Bank is encouraging those who want to give to buy gifts that would help the organization fund food and fuel purchases, said Vikki Blair Adkins, director of development at the food bank.
Golden Harvest, which distributes more than 10 million pounds of food in Georgia and South Carolina, has seen the need for food grow from 856,015 pounds in October 2007 to 1,029,631 this past October, Ms. Adkins said.
"Employment has become more and more threatened, so there's more people coming in," she said. "The need is here through the holidays and year-round."
Donors are responding better than expected to the increased needs this holiday, said Rina Powell, the senior director of resource development for the United Way.
The community has helped raise about 50 percent of the $4.5 million goal for the United Way's fundraising campaign, Mrs. Powell said.
The United Way hopes to meet its goal by the annual meeting in February.
"We are a little further along than we were this time last year," she said.
"People are aware that there's a greater need. This is an extremely generous community. They'll do what they can to support."
Reach Stephanie Toone at (706) 823-3215 or stephanie.toone@augustachronicle.com.
AREA FOOD DRIVES
All donations from the following events go to Golden Harvest Food Bank:
TODAY: WFXA and WTHB food drive at Kroger (3435 Wrightsboro Road), 3-5 p.m.
SATURDAY:
- Christmas Light-Up Spectacular at Augusta Common (collecting nonperishable items, 3:30-6:30 p.m.)
- Disney on Ice show at James Brown Arena (donations will be taken near the box office)
DEC. 11:
- Stuff-A-Truck food drive with WRDW at Wal-Mart (2035 Whiskey Road, Aiken), 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- WFXA and WTHB food drive, Kroger (501 15th St.), 3-5 p.m.
DEC. 12: Stuff-A-Truck food drive with WRDW at Wal-Mart (260 Bobby Jones Expressway, Martinez), 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
DEC. 14: Augusta Symphony Concert at the Augusta State University Performing Arts Theatre
DEC. 18: WFXA and WTHB food drive, Kroger (4355 Washington Road, Evans), 3-5 p.m.
DEC. 26: WFXA and WTHB food drive at Kroger (3128 Deans Bridge Road), 3-5 p.m.
MORE INFORMATION
- Contact Carrie Jones of Golden Harvest at (706) 736-1199, ext. 217, or visit www.goldenharvest.org.
- To donate, food, toys or clothing to the Salvation Army, call (706) 826-7933.
Comments
Maybe we can go without that extra dvd this christmas, right?
But seriously, everytime you go grocery shopping, make sure to pick something up to give to the foodbank or grab one of those $1, $5, or $10 donation cards at the register. Every little bit helps and if every family gave $1 once per week when they went grocery shopping, they wouldn't notice it gone, but the families in need would notice the difference.
Guy: Absolutely. It really is easy to give. We can all do without that extra little something - that cup of coffee just one morning, that DVD, CD, etc. Much better for us to give than to have the government take it from us to decide where, how, and who gets it!
Set a box in your home and every time they have a buy one get one free (especially can goods and cereal) take one home put the other in the box. When it's full take it to the Golden Harvest Food Bank or charity of your choice.
InChrist: Excellent idea. My family will adopt that!
First of all, I do give to many charities and donated to the food drive this year. I come from central Illinios and we don't have the crime you see in this area, I've never heard of doing a food drive back home. You'll never see in my home paper about all the needy people. I can only wonder if it has something to do with the high school drop out rate, which has driven the high unemployment rate and low wages. How many of these "needy" people have done this to themselves?
Central Illinois may have less crime, but Chicago is the murder capital of the world. Do they have food drives in Chicago? Please, DD, bless us with your better way of life.
Chicago isn't the murder capital. Read again about how we stack up nationally in every negative aspect.
Double D: FBI gives Chicago a violent crime index of 7 versus 3 for Augusta and 1 for Evans. The higher the index, the higher the number of violent crimes. I believe Peoria and Springfield would be considered central Illinois. The Peoria Area Food Bank routinely runs food drives to serve 125 agencies in 8 central Illinois counties. The Central Illinois Food Bank is located in Springfield and sponsors food drives throughout central Illinois. There . . . now you've heard of food drives "back home".
They should be given birth control. They keep reporducing like rats.
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