"Demand through the roof": Massachusetts non-profits feeling the burden this holiday season

NEEDHAM - The holiday season has arrived which means it's all-hands-on-deck for non-profits who are scrambling to meet the requests of families who need support. 

Hope & Comfort in Needham provides essential hygiene products to people in need throughout the state. "We are seeing demand through the roof," Executive Director Kerry Carter said. Pallets of supplies are going out the door of their warehouse to support programs like Chelsea Community Connections. 

"Hope & Comfort has been a fabulous partnership with us in supplying all of these hygiene products so that families can use their money to pay rent and buy food and not have the stress of hygiene products," Chelsea Community Connections Executive Director Cara Cogliano said. 

Hope & Comfort says the demand to help more families is ever increasing in fact just this year alone they distributed 3.2 million hygiene products throughout the state. 

Hundreds of carts, containers, and bags of clothes are being organized at Cradles to Crayons Giving factory in Newton. 

"Diapers, school supplies, winter coats. The demand is huge this year. We know there are one in three kids in Massachusetts living in low income and poverty that need our services, so we are distributing over 180,000 packages this winter," Cradles to Crayons Executive Director of Massachusetts Aubrey Henderson said. The supplies will be organized within two weeks to shipped out. 

Both Cradles to Crayons and Hope & Comfort say the demand is also high because of the increase of migrant families coming into the state, but they are doing their best to keep up. 

"People can help by donating, by volunteering, by having product drives, all of it is impactful and helpful," Carter said. To help families stay warm and healthy this holiday season.