'Tis already the season for giving as North Texas nonprofits see many struggling
LEWISVILLE (CBSDFW.COM) - Now that Halloween is over, North Texas nonprofits are already turning their attention to Christmas.
Christian Community Action in Lewisville is helping a record number of families in southern Denton County right now, and they expect the need to be even higher this holiday season.
"There are needs everywhere with meals, with food, with trying to get ready for Christmas," said Gilbert Montez, president & CEO of CCA. "It's just a great need right now for the families in our community."
Montez says the need during the pandemic was incredible, but the need this year has been just as high.
"And in some months, even higher than what we saw during the pandemic," he said. "For sure the need for groceries in 2022 has been higher."
Over the past three months, 150 new families have started getting their meals at CCA's food pantry.
"So now we're at over 700 families that have access to our pantry every week," said Montez. "That's a growing need in our community."
It means CCA will need at least 700 turkeys to give away this Thanksgiving. The charity isn't protected from shortages or inflation.
"It's just as much of a struggle for us to get them as anyone else in the community," he said.
CCA is also working to fulfill the Christmas wish lists of hundreds of children whose families have already applied for help, months in advance.
They expect to provide toys for more than 1,500 kids this year.
"The number we have right now is already higher than the years we've seen before," said Montez.
Even though families across the metroplex are struggling to make ends meet right now, CCA is confident the generosity of the season will prevail.
"Our faith has grown by what we've seen happen because every month the Lord seems to provide, the community seems to provide what we need," Montez said. "We think we'll get there."
CCA will accept donations of turkeys or other food products at its pantry.
You can find more information about the Christmas program here.
