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Nov 26, 2009 9:26 pm US/Central
Charities, Shelters Seeing More Requests, Need
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
For the Salvation Army, it's a tradition. 2,000 thanksgiving dinners with all the trimmings. Volunteers personally wait on the guests, hoping to enhance the dignity of their meal.
"Everything's getting so hard that right now I'm about to lose my house" says Joe Espino.
Espino is a husband and father of five growing children. And times are tough.
"Since November 2008 times are getting really hard… I lost most of my customers because they can't afford landscaping jobs, you know?"
The economy is changing stories; now more and more people who would normally be serving meals at the Salvation Army are instead now in need of help themselves.
The Salvation Army says it is seeing not only more on Thanksgiving, but its shelters average 60 more residents a night than they did a year ago.
"You never know. It could be someone who has been working for years and all of a sudden find themselves unemployed. But unfortunately it's families we see with younger children" says Neil Phillips with the Salvation Army. "Our shelter is running at 113 percent, and it's different Folks coming here for help, they can come from any socio-economic strata, you never know who'll walk in the door next."
Despite the looming home eviction, the Espinos try to be thankful. "We're still alive and most of all we're united."
Across town an estimated 3,000 people were treated to meals and more. Injured Dallas Cowboy Ken Hamlin helped host the annual S. M. Wright community feed.
There were hot meals; groceries to take away, and clothing. The clothing is especially timely for Saymon Denson. "I lost my job at the beginning of November."
Denson's rent is paid through the end of the month, but with three pre-teens she faces a challenge.
"It's hard, I'm getting out and constantly looking for a job, so it's Christmas time and they'll need a lot of seasonal help, so I'm hoping I'll get something and somebody will call back."
She says the girls understand and help out. But she wonders how long can she hold out. "Probably not long, the way the economy is. But I'll keep fighting to the end."
And trusts that the end is a long way off.
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