Charities ramp up solicitations in holiday season

Many families feed a crowd during the holiday season, but the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle does so every day – on a grand scale.

Jill Stanton Bullard, executive director of the charity, said the organization expects to feed more than 5,000 people every day through the end of 2010.

"That's a lot of people in need," she said. "For the people we care about, the people we work with day in and day out, the recession's not over."

Volunteers pack thousands of meals in the organization's warehouse on Blair Drive in Raleigh.

"We probably have 30 agencies on waiting lists that represent hundreds of families that we just don't have enough food to serve," Bullard said.

The Salvation Army of Wake County has a similar story of need.

The group's annual Red Kettle campaign kicked off Friday in downtown Raleigh. It will raise money to provide more than 7,000 needy children with a gift for Christmas.

Both organizations are looking for support from those who can help the less fortunate.

"A couple of toys, a couple of dollars to the kettle, every little bit helps," said Haven Sink, director of public relations for the Salvation Army.

"Those 5, 10 and 25-dollar checks are so important," Bullard said.

She noted that generosity knows no season.

"Remember in January and February, the need is not over," she said. "This need goes on way past the holiday season."