Hundreds of families waited outside the Salvation Army Office in El Cajon to apply for toys for their children and food for the holidays. Some arrived as early as 6:00 am. By 9:00 a.m. nearly 300 families had taken numbers to apply for help.
It was the second week the Salvation Army has allowed lower income families to enter the Adopt-a-Family program. "Qualifying families will receive a toy for each child 17 and under, a food box and a gift card for a Christmas Meal," said Captain Darren Norton of the Salvation Army. The children will be invited to choose their own toy December 18 or 19.
Many people in line said they had lost their jobs or their spouses had lost their jobs. "I don't have the money to pay for presents for my kids this year and I want them to have something," said Matilde Martinez who was one of the first to see volunteers on Saturday. Martinez said she had been working at a laundromat but lost her job after it closed its doors.
Others were thankful that the charity would be so giving. "I really feel blessed this morning," said Darlene Williams who was waiting with five grandchildren.
People filled the parking lot, forcing the Salvation Army to issue numbers and perform crowd control operations. Volunteers yelled at the top of their lungs directing people to get in line. The numbers were surprising. "We were expecting a lot of people but this is far beyond what we expected," said Norton. He said 560 families applied for help just last week and at the current rate, his office could help 40% more than last year.
But helping the increased number of families could be a challenge since donations are down roughly 35% compared to last year. Norton is hopeful that people will be generous in the next few weeks despite the tough economic times.
