It’s hard to be very jolly with unemployment high

By Bryan McKenzie

Published: November 7, 2008

Jolly St. Nick can be found in store displays, surrounded by cavorting elves, faux holly and mistletoe as shopkeepers entice treasure seekers.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but Christmas ain’t what it used to be. In fact, the ghost of Christmas present is scaring the Dickens out of local charitable sorts.

“We’re looking at a lot more need than last year because of how hard the economy is being hit,” said Tom Powell, whose holiday brainchild, The Toy Lift, was created 20 years ago to provide toys for girls and boys at risk of a lousy holiday. “We’re going to do what we can, but a lot of the people who donate toys are now in need of our help.”

Bad numbers

If you want to know how bad it is, and you can’t quickly access your 401(k) balance, just look at the recent unemployment figures coming out of the U.S. Department of Labor. According to the Associated Press, the nation has reached a 14-year high of 6.5 percent unemployment. Nearly a quarter-million people lost their jobs in one month, bringing the year’s total job losses to 1.2 million — 600,000 in the past three months.

The labor department said the job losses came from everywhere, from finance, insurance, construction, manufacturing, trade, automotive and service industries. There’s even a rumor that Santa Inc. will outsource production to China and lay off elves in a cost-cutting measure that could raise North Pole unemployment by 1,000 percent.

In our more temperate clime, Ray Kline, of local charitable organization LOVE Inc., has seen the impact.

“It’s been a steady increase all year, but in the last month or two, it’s gotten worse,” Mr. Kline said. “We have a program that lets people adopt families to provide Thanksgiving and Christmas meals but the demand for the meals is far more than the number of people willing to provide them. We have a waiting list for the meals that, right now, we have no way to fill.”

Common knowledge

Ask anyone you want. The Salvation Army’s program for Christmas food and presents has been swamped. Food banks and pantries are slammed with need but slim on feed.

“It’s hard. Folks receiving food stamps are receiving the same dollar amount that they received last year, but what has happened to food prices in a year?” Mr. Kline asked rhetorically. “That’s the situation we’re in.”

What to do about it remains a tough question. Until someone comes up with an answer, locals are just hoping any who can help, will.

“The Toy Lift is coming up the week after Thanksgiving and anyone who can help out, either volunteering or donating, is more than welcome, they’re needed.” Mr. Powell said.

“Anything anyone can do — now matter how small — is going to be greatly appreciated,” Mr. Kline said. “That’s especially true when times are like they are.”