chloe
12-06-2009, 12:42 PM
Christmas gift drives seeing fewer donations
TUSCALOOSA | As the economic rough patch persists, many hard-working families are struggling to provide Christmas presents for their kids.
That’s where Christmas gift drives like the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree campaigns come in.
And this year, they’re seeing as big a need for toys as ever and are struggling to meet the demand.
But while the economy has brought the same amount of need or more to the campaigns, it has also caused a significant drop in the amount of donations.
Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Leach is the coordinator for the Toys for Tots drive, run from the local Mike Spann Detachment of the Marine Corps League.
Each year the campaign collects new and unwrapped toys to deliver to needy children for Christmas. The drive also accepts monetary donations to buy toys.
Leach said monetary funding for the local program has decreased significantly from last year.
“We’re only about halfway to where we need to be money wise,” Leach said.
Ninety percent of the organization’s funding depends on the monetary support of private individuals, Leach said.
This year, Leach theorized that those individuals may not be in need of extra help, but they may not be able to spare any for donation.
“I don’t know if there are more people starving, but people are still hurting,” he said.
Vera Ballard, coordinator for the local Angel Tree drive, can empathize to a degree.
Each year, families in need sign up for the drive, filling out their children’s clothing sizes and what they want for Christmas.
Ballard said her program has seen the number of children signed up increase from between 1,200 and 1,300 last year to 2,023 this year.
Unfortunately, Ballard said Angel Tree has not had the donations to fulfill that need.
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20091206/NEWS/912059893/1007?Title=Christmas-gift-drives-seeing-fewer-donations
Does anyone donate to charity during christmas time?
TUSCALOOSA | As the economic rough patch persists, many hard-working families are struggling to provide Christmas presents for their kids.
That’s where Christmas gift drives like the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree campaigns come in.
And this year, they’re seeing as big a need for toys as ever and are struggling to meet the demand.
But while the economy has brought the same amount of need or more to the campaigns, it has also caused a significant drop in the amount of donations.
Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Leach is the coordinator for the Toys for Tots drive, run from the local Mike Spann Detachment of the Marine Corps League.
Each year the campaign collects new and unwrapped toys to deliver to needy children for Christmas. The drive also accepts monetary donations to buy toys.
Leach said monetary funding for the local program has decreased significantly from last year.
“We’re only about halfway to where we need to be money wise,” Leach said.
Ninety percent of the organization’s funding depends on the monetary support of private individuals, Leach said.
This year, Leach theorized that those individuals may not be in need of extra help, but they may not be able to spare any for donation.
“I don’t know if there are more people starving, but people are still hurting,” he said.
Vera Ballard, coordinator for the local Angel Tree drive, can empathize to a degree.
Each year, families in need sign up for the drive, filling out their children’s clothing sizes and what they want for Christmas.
Ballard said her program has seen the number of children signed up increase from between 1,200 and 1,300 last year to 2,023 this year.
Unfortunately, Ballard said Angel Tree has not had the donations to fulfill that need.
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20091206/NEWS/912059893/1007?Title=Christmas-gift-drives-seeing-fewer-donations
Does anyone donate to charity during christmas time?