This holiday season brought a catch-22 to local charities: fewer donations and more requests for aid.
Many charities saw an increase in requests for food, shelter and clothing from families and the working poor, said Kent Vann, executive director of St. Francis House.
"Our mission is to serve the hungry, and we are seeing a noticeable increase in people who are just hungry, not necessarily homeless," Vann said.
Meals requested at St. Francis House rose from approximately 130 per day to 230, Vann said. The organization received more than 10,000 requests for services such as showers and toothbrushes.
Fire of God Ministries, a church-based organization helping the homeless, saw an approximate 30-percent increase in requests for aid, said Marcia Conwell, church secretary.
"It wasn't just the homeless. It was the working class, the working poor," Conwell said.
Increased need amplified the struggle for Fire of God Ministries and St. Francis House, both of which faced decreased donations through November.
In December, holiday meals proved to be a great rallying point for St. Francis House, but the sunken economy resulted in fewer donations than previous years, Vann said.
One organization saw a slight increase in donations this December because of a holiday fundraiser.
"It was an interesting surprise," said Martha McInnes, director of Interfaith Hospitality Network.
Families with children can receive aid from Interfaith Hospitality Network, a network of nine local churches that offers places to stay overnight.
McInnes said that a lack of holiday jobs hurt people who were counting on the extra money in December, prompting some who don't normally request aid to look to local organizations for help.
"Yes, we have kind of a tent city and the issues of people who are chronically homeless," McInnes said. "But now we have a lot of people who simply don't have enough money to pay their bills."
Homelessness also affects Alachua County children. About 650 students in county schools are classified as homeless, said Courtney Allen, homeless education coordinator for Alachua County.
The number of homeless students increased by about 150 last semester, she said.
Calls for assistance start to come in before Thanksgiving and continue through the holiday season, Allen said.
"They are looking for any kind of toy drive, any kind of assistance," she said of families in the program. "They don't get a traditional Christmas."
The students are protected by the McKinney-Veto Act, which works to provide a seamless education to homeless students. Under the act, students are offered immediate enrollment, transportation to and from their schools and a nutrition program during school.
Over holiday break, homeless children are without benefits such as the nutrition program, Allen said.
Despite the current trend, many charitable organizations are hopeful that volunteer hours and donations will soon increase.
One student group plans to answer the call.
Kyle Robisch, president of Gator CHOMP, said members deliver food to St. Francis House Monday through Thursday each week, and they receive food donations from area restaurants such as Jimmy John's.
Plans to increase the organization's reach include a competitive campus-wide clothing drive.
