Record numbers sign up for support from Telegraph Santa Fund

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Staff Photo by Grant Morris People stand outside waiting to be called into The Salvation Army's Community Annex in small groups, Tuesday evening, Nov. 9, on the last evening of intake for The Santa Fund. The Salvation Army and Pastoral Care combined expected more than 1,000 people to take part in the program this year.

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Staff Photo by Grant Morris Mary Frances Webb combs through an applicant's paperwork during the last evening of intake for The Santa Fund, Tuesday evening, Nov. 9 at The Salvation Army's Community Annex in Nashua.

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Staff Photo by Grant Morris People stand outside waiting to be called into The Salvation Army's Community Annex in small groups, Tuesday evening, Nov. 9, on the last evening of intake for The Santa Fund. The Salvation Army and Pastoral Care combined expected more than 1,000 people to take part in the program this year.

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She was cold. She was wet.

But Tracie Gomez wasn’t about to go home after standing in line in the rain and cold for more than an hour to register for help from The Telegraph Santa Fund.

She was one of hundreds who showed up as early as 2:30 p.m. for the last night of registration last week, standing in the dark in lines that snaked through the Salvation Army parking lot onto the street in Nashua.

It’s a record year for the fund, and not in a good way.

More than 1,000 families with nearly 3,000 children registered for help this year. Registration was supposed to last from 5:30-7:30 that night, but instead, Salvation Army and Nashua Pastoral Care Center staff and volunteers stayed well past 9 to accommodate everyone who had waited in line.

The two organizations help with distribution of The Telegraph Santa Fund.

“The need is greater and the donations are down,” said Maryse Wirbal, CEO of the Nashua Pastoral Care Center.

And as such, for the first time, The Telegraph has partnered with The Cabinet Press to expand the reach of the Santa Fund aid to more local families in need.

The Cabinet Press papers are The Cabinet, The Bedford Journal, The Hollis-Brookline Journal and The Merrimack Journal.

Gomez was squeezing rain from her hair as she talked about asking for help for the first time.

“I was uncomfortable to ask for help at first,” she said, “but I knew it was the last day and even if it was raining, cold and dark, I couldn’t go home or my kids would not have a Christmas.

The 37-year-old mother of twin daughters and a son moved to the area from Kentucky in March.

“I did factory work for a while, but the with the economy the way it is, I can’t even do that,” she said.

“I know the key to taking care of your family in this economy is getting an education, so I’m going to try to go back to school in January.”

Wirbal, Salvation Army Capt. Norma Moore and Salvation Army social worker Rosemarie Dykeman were astounded by the turnout for registration.

“It’s the biggest last day of intake I’ve ever seen,” Wirbal said, “and I’ve been doing this since 1998.”

All those working for the Santa Fund are concerned about meeting the needs of so many.

They say that with demand for help for Christmas – not to mention rental and other assistance their organizations provide – and with donations down because of the bad economy, they hope those who can will see their way to making donations this year.

Wirbal said if the drop in donations to the Pastoral Care Center’s Penny Picker campaign is any indication, there are some major problems ahead.

“We’re down $10,000 from last year,” she said. “You can’t believe how that will affect what we can do for people in need.”

This is the first year Moore and her husband, Capt. David Moore, were assigned to Nashua, having left their post in New Jersey earlier this year.

“I’m staying here until every one of these people are signed up,” Norma Moore said. “It just has to be done. I was getting calls from people all day saying they didn’t know what they would do if they missed the registration deadline. They didn’t know how they would have a holiday for their families.

“So many people are laid off from their jobs and are not used to looking for services. It’s going to take everything we have to meet the people’s needs, but I’ve heard how generous a community this is, and I believe we can do it.”

Those running the intake said that in addition to more and more layoffs, this year they’ve seen an increase in refugee families asking for help, more working poor and more families living with other families to make ends meet.

They’re also seeing a lot of people in the eviction process who are about to lose their homes altogether.

It seems bleak, but those who are working and volunteering for the Santa Fund are hopeful.

“It’s not all bad news,” Wirbal said. “We just received a generous first-time donation from the Merrimack County Savings Bank, and the Crowne Plaza raised money with a performance by Las Vegas entertainer Tony Pace.

“That gives us all hope that we might come through this year somehow.”

Telegraph Publisher Terry Williams believes that.

“We know this will be a demanding holiday season,” Williams said.

“More people have lost their jobs, and the need is great. But I’m always blown away by the generosity and support from the community every year.”

That’s something on which people such as Jennifer, 27, of Nashua, are counting. Jennifer, who is 30 weeks pregnant with twins, was soaked to the bone by the time she sat down to register on the last night of intake.

“Whatever I get, I’m thankful for,” she said. “I know times are hard for not just me, but for everybody.”

Last year, the Santa Fund received more than $115,441 in cash donations and thousands of dollars’ worth of new toys and clothes.

The Santa Fund, which provides toys and assistance to needy families around the holidays, was founded 49 years ago by the publisher of The Telegraph to provide needy children in the community a happy holiday.

For information about how to donate to the Santa Fund, visit www.nashuatelegraph.com.