Christmas gifting charities adjust for price hikes, supply shortages

DELMARVA- As the holiday season approaches, charities looking to provide gifts for less fortunate children and their families are preparing to run into supply shortages, higher prices, and increased demand.

“Each year the salvation army serves families that are in need of toys and food assistance and we usually have around 150 to 200 families that apply with us,”  said Salvation Army Captain Kathryn Alban, adding “This year we have seen an increase of about 100 kids so we are expecting to serve 500 children instead of 400 this year which is quite a big increase from last year.”

She says their group is ramping up its efforts to fundraise, and purchase gifts, but as prices rise it is expected to limit their ability to purchase the same amount of products per child, or the availability of certain items that children can request.

“Some children just might not be able to get as much as usual because of the heightened prices,” she said. They’re not the only ones, Toys for Tots of Salisbury is feeling it too.

Their coordinator Andy Bouma tells us they have a record amount of boxes for donations, over 200 in Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset Counties.
Bouma tells us while high prices do affect donations, he says his organization has a plan.

“We plan to buy as many toys in advance with what we have, and rely on the national foundation, they help a lot by shipping us toys early on and they get good prices on it so we’ll keep going with what we got and I am confident we can get it out to those families,” he said.

Salvation Army tells us if an item a child wants is out of stock- they’ll get creative- mixing and matching to get them as close as they can.
They say no child will go without gifts this Christmas, even if it’s not exactly what they had in mind.

“Sometimes a gift under a tree isn’t about what it is it’s just the experience of opening up that fight and being excited and happy on Christmas,” Alban said.