With only three weeks until Christmas, the Salvation Army is unable to accept any more families in need throughout the Madison area. In year's past, the Salvation Army tended to 2,200 families through the holidays, but with this year's spots already filled up, more than 500 families will probably be left without food and clothing come holiday time.
The Salvation Army, 630 E. Washington St., came to Wisconsin in the late 1890s and since then 25 locations have been set up throughout the state, including one in Madison. It is well-known for its big red kettles and volunteer bell ringers.
Major Paul Moore, the Salvation Army Dane County Coordinator, has run the Salvation Army of Madison for nine years and has been involved with the group for nearly 40 years. He said the unexpected increase of needy families has created an unforseen cause for concern both financially and voluntarily, and others agree.
""We weren't prepared for this many families when we set our budget,"" said Ruth Ann Schoer, development director for Madison's Salvation Army. ""This year we're going to have to cut off families because we can't handle it financially.""
The annual budget for Madison's station is $1.45 million. As of right now, 2,316 families will receive assistance from the Salvation Army—100 more than it normally handles by the end of the holiday season.
Moore said this time last year approximately 1,800 families needed help. Nationally, 32 million people receive aid each year in aid from the Salvation Army.
""I think the reason for such an increase is the number of people coming into the community,"" Moore said. ""They're having trouble getting established.""
Schoer noted minorities, especially Hispanics and Hmong, are coming to the Salvation Army in larger numbers because they are not afraid to reach out and get help. However, she added that it often presents a language barrier problem, so volunteers with bilingual skills are becoming more and more necessary.
Still, despite the massive overflow of the needy, the Salvation Army remains optimistic it will have enough volunteer support. Debra Crye, Volunteer Outreach Coordinator for Madison's station, said in years past volunteering was always tight because there are 68 kettle sites around Madison that need to be manned, but she said in the end more than enough help was received.
""Our need for volunteering around the holidays is huge,"" she said. ""I think as long as the need is known, folks are more than happy to help.""
However, the long hours could turn off potential volunteers.
""Christmas time is incredibly stressful for me, during the [holiday] season we work 14 hours a day, six times a week,"" Moore said.
Crye said anywhere from 750 to more than 1,000 volunteers are needed for the hand out, which she said can become especially stressful when volunteers are lacking.
