BLOOMINGTON - McLean County programs offering holiday assistance to families in need face a tall order this year: Raise money and collect donated items for an increasing number of struggling families and individuals while being sensitive to the reality that money is tighter for almost everyone right now. | Full list of local groups for holiday giving | Slideshow: 10 ways you can help this year

"With the economy, more families are in crisis and need assistance," said Katie Allen, Adopt-A-Family coordinator for the Children's Home + Aid Children's Foundation. "But our donors are feeling it, too."

How Central Illinoisans respond over the next month remains to be seen. Social service agencies are tailoring their appeals to a shell-shocked public, knowing they may be assisting an increasing number of poor with the same - or perhaps less - amount of money and donations.

"We're all kind of anxious this year," admitted Capt. Scott Shelbourn, corps officer for the Salvation Army of McLean County. "There is a tremendous need in our community that many people aren't aware of."

But Shelbourn, Allen and others remain optimistic that even a public with less will respond with more.

"People here need help; we all are hurting," said Matt Drat, coordinator of McLean County Toys for Tots, a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Program. "But that doesn't decrease the need. And I've never seen this community shirk its responsibility" to assist the needy.

Here are reports from several organizations as they begin their holiday appeals.

The Salvation Army

Red Kettles are up at 21 retail establishments - two more than last year - and letters have gone out to donors for the annual direct mail drive, Shelbourn said.

Last year, $202,047 was dropped in the kettles ($30,000 more than in 2006) and $127,413 came in the mail appeal ($2,000 more than in '06), Shelbourn said. Including other donations, The Salvation Army collected $337,554 last year.

This year's goal is $340,000.

Even if Salvation Army makes that goal, whether it will be enough is unknown.

In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2007, the organization helped 9,000 families, Shelbourn said. In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2008, 17,000 families received assistance that included overnight stays for the homeless, help with rent and utility payments, donations of food and household items, and coats for children and families.

"It sounds as if some people aren't going to give as much as they've given in the past - especially some seniors on fixed incomes - but no one is talking about not giving," Shelbourn said.

Home Sweet Home Ministries

November and December are months when Bloomington's Home Sweet Home collects all the money it needs to operate the entire year, said Sabrina Burkiewicz, vice president of marketing and retail operations.

Money supports Home Sweet Home's free lunches and dinners, food boxes, overnight stays for the homeless, and necessities for families, such as diapers, toiletries, coats, hats and mittens.

Last year, from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, the agency raised $315,500. This year's goal is $326,200, Burkiewicz said.

But the agency's client load has increased. About 4,000 meals were served a month earlier this year, but the number was up to 7,588 in October. The number of food boxes rose from 127 during the third quarter last year to 271 during the same period this year.

At Home Sweet Home's thrift stores in Bloomington, Clinton and Lincoln, sales increased 11 percent in September, compared with September 2007. At the Bloomington store, the increase was 19.4 percent. While that's indicative of increased need, it also brings income to Home Sweet Home.

Normally, eight to 10 families who leave the shelter are adopted during the holiday season, but 17 families were adopted by mid-November. In addition, Home Sweet Home has tried to diversify its aging donor base by getting schools more involved and by selling Christmas cards designed by children living at the shelter.

"For so long, Home Sweet Home has kept to itself on Oakland Avenue," Burkiewicz said. "We're busting the doors open to let people see what we do."

The Children's Foundation

With Adopt-A-Family, business groups, families and individuals "adopt" a family for Christmas, buying household items, clothing and other necessities and gifts. Individuals who can't afford that level of giving can donate money or individual gifts.

Families are foundation clients - families in crisis and children in foster care - whose needs have been verified, Allen said. Last year, the program served 176 families or 561 individuals, an increase of 42 people over 2006.

Including the "adoption" of the Crisis Nursery and the Transitional Living Program, Adopt-A-Family in-kind donations were valued at $118,006 last year in addition to $10,493 in cash, Allen said.

This year, 40 more families have qualified for adoption, Allen said. About 80 families have yet to be adopted.

Allen's message is, "If you can give us anything, no matter how small, it'll help families."

She has no dollar goal. "My only focus with this program is getting the families what they need. If we can do it with less money, fine," she said, adding she hopes at least basic needs, such as winter coats, will be met.

Toys for Tots

At more than 50 drop box locations at businesses throughout McLean County, people can drop off toys that are distributed to needy children by The Salvation Army.

Toys for Tots entered the season without any money or toys left over from last year, Drat said, and with a significant decrease in support from the national Toys for Tots Foundation. Last year, Toys for Tots provided toys and stocking stuffers to about 7,000 children - about 40 percent more than Christmas 2006, he said.

Drat knows there are more children in need this year and that the program probably won't get multiple gifts for each child. So his goal for this Christmas is one toy for each child.

Some schools are having collections again this year. Businesses with drop boxes are reaching out more to their customers. "The customers are saying, 'We understand. We need to do something.' That's encouraging," Drat said.

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How to help

Organizations that offer holiday assistance to people in need also are in need - of time, money or goods during the next month. Here's a partial list of organizations and how to help.

A more complete list can be found at www.pantagraph.com/howtohelp.

The Salvation Army

Call (309) 829-9476 or visit www.sabloomington.org or www.ringbells.org.

Home Sweet Home Ministries

Call (309) 828-7356

The Children's Foundation's Adopt-A-Family

Call (309) 454-1624 or (309) 454-1381 or e-mail kallen@childrenshomeandaid.org.

Toys for Tots

Visit www.mcleantoysfortots.org

The Pantagraph's Good Fellow Fund

Call (309) 820-3210

SOURCES: Capt. Scott Shelbourn, Sabrina Burkiewicz, Katie Allen, Matt Drat, Julie Chilton