Tulsa Salvation Army Sees Increase In Families Seeking Food, Toys

Seven hundred more families are asking for help from the Salvation Army. This year, the Tulsa chapter has requests from 4,200 families needing things like food, toys for their kids and help with bills.

The 4,200 families is an increase of twenty percent for the Salvation Army of Tulsa. And leaders say you may be surprised at some of the new faces.

Mike Dotson never doubted he could provide for his 6-year-old daughter Taylor, until life got in the way.

"I never expected in a million years, never," he said.

Mike is a machinist and got hurt on the job in April. He is currently going through workers compensation procedures, but needs assistance in the meantime.

"We had nothing, no savings, no real family per say, just me and her," Mike said.

He and Taylor needed help and the Salvation Army gave them an apartment and three meals a day at its Center of Hope facility.

"It's been tough, it's been real tough. But they got us up here and we've got our own sense of normalcy," Mike said.

The Dotsons are one of 4,200 families the Salvation Army is helping this year.

"We're seeing a lot of new faces this year. People who have been laid off from their jobs, people who just need a little help at Christmas," said Sallie Godwin, Salvation Army.

On top of shelter and financial assistance, the Salvation Army provides baskets of food to families in need and Christmas gifts to kids through its numerous toy drives.

"I really didn't expect this big of an increase, because every now and then you hear that the recession is over and things are getting better," Goldwin said.

The Dotsons are still waiting for things to get better. They've stayed at the Salvation Army rent-free for more than six months and hope to be out of the temporary shelter in another seven months.

"The thing is, luckily for us and so many others, the Salvation Army was here to be our safety net," Mike said.

The Salvation Army's annual "Red Kettle Campaign" starts Thursday and the Angel Tree program, sponsored by News on 6, begins this Saturday.