In a tough economy, even Salvation Army feels the pinch

The bad economy is straining The Salvation Army's finances and could force downsizing in the ministry's Christmas toy and food baskets.

"We were finding it tough because we're getting to a point where we're not going to meet the demand and the needs" of clients, said Capt. Lewis Reckline, the Salvation Army's Tidewater area commander.

Reckline said cuts in grant money, including about $45,000 from the city of Norfolk, squeezed his group's ability to meet growing requests for its social services.

The Salvation Army, a Christian organization, served more than 1,000 clients last month, Reckline said. In the last week of September, it provided $10,000 in utility assistance and gave food aid to 120 people. The local Salvation Army serves Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Portsmouth.

The group provides clothing, rent, food, medicine and utility assistance, runs a homeless shelter and gives job counseling. It also runs the annual Christmas Depot, which gave gifts and food last year to 7,000 families with 23,000 children.

Reckline said no eligible family will be turned away from the depot this year. But children may get fewer than the six toys that each gift bag held last year.

"The Christmas food basket will be affected as well in terms of the number of items," Reckline said. "This year we may have to cut out the cranberry sauce or the pumpkin pie or something like that."

The local Salvation Army froze three vacant staff positions this year to cut costs, he said. It also cut financial support for a voucher program that lets needy clients get clothing from the group's thrift stores. Reckline's operation must pay the store operation for the clothing.

The Tidewater Salvation Army's 2007- 08 budget of $6.6 million will be pushed by rising expenses to $7.5 million in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, Reckline said.

He said he's balancing anxiety over rising costs and demand with optimism rooted in South Hampton Road's history of supporting The Salvation Army.

One of his staff reported disturbing news after making a round of thank-you calls to donors this week, Reckline said.

"A person said they can no longer be a donor but will be a client," Reckline said. "That's what scares me."

Steven G. Vegh, (757) 446-2417, steven.vegh@pilotonline.com