Demand growing for holiday food assistance

With the holiday season approaching, more and more food banks and assistance centers around Massachusetts are receiving requests for help.

The slowing economy, which has led to increasing levels on unemployment and tighter credit, has pushed some Americans over the edge. Many people struggling to make ends meet during the holidays last year are now turning to relief organizations for help.

One of the factors making the situation so difficult for consumers is the high cost of food.

Increases in fuel prices have driven up the price of many groceries, especially essentials such as milk, meat and fruit because of the need for those products to be refrigerated. The increase in the price of a turkey, for example, from last year to this year means that unless they get more donations, relief organizations will not be able to help as much as they could in the past.

According to the Boston Globe, the state’s food banks paid about $.80 per pound for turkeys in 2006, but will pay over $1.05 this year. These higher prices translate into an increased need for generosity, but unfortunately the weakening economy may make that a difficult goal.

In order to combat what could be a difficult holiday season, the Salvation Army is planning to begin their signature red kettle campaign earlier this year.

Beginning November 12, bell ringers will begin appearing around Massachusetts.

"We trust the Lord," Major William H. Bode, commander of the Massachusetts division of the Salvation Army, tells the Boston Globe. "And trust the donor."

--Bridget O'Sullivan