It’s a challenging time for Lemont and Liana Davis. He is disabled and out of work. She is trying to find a job. Together, they are caring for six children in an apartment in Mattapan, where they moved two weeks ago from Florida.
“It’s been tough. We’re just trying to get back on our feet,” Liana said.
With the rise in unemployment, requests at local charities and nonprofits have skyrocketed this holiday season.
The Greater Boston Food Bank distributed a record 38,584 turkeys to families at Thanksgiving, and its member food pantries and shelters are serving in some cases 30 percent more clients than last year.
“We’re seeing a lot more people in need,” said John Drew, president of Action for Boston Community Development, an anti-poverty agency that helped the Davis family with heating fuel assistance and a Thanksgiving turkey.
ABCD?has also secured a spot for the Davis family on its toy drive and there are many others still looking for help.
The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program reports requests have “significantly increased” this season.
“People are looking for more necessities and practical items,” said Heather MacFarlane, a spokeswoman for The Home for Little Wanderers, a child and family services agency that runs an annual “Big Wishes” toy drive.
