Salvation Army

Commissioner David A. Baxendale.

NEWARK—Charitable organizations throughout New Jersey were deluged with unprecedented demands for food and clothing at Christmas, and officials attribute the growing requests for aid to mushrooming unemployment, inflation and the energy crisis.

Spokesmen for those charities contacted said that demand for aid at Christmas outstripped last year's requests by 10 to 25 per cent. Meanwhile, monetary contributions, which sustained Christmastime programs for Os needy in prior years, barely equaled, or fell short of, last year's gifts.

“We experienced a drastic increase in applications for aid statewide,” said Maj. David A. Baxendale, state commander of the Salvation Army. “By drastic, I mean that we have been running about 20 per cent ahead of last year in the number of applications we received from people needing help.”

This Christmas, the Salvation Army gave food, clothing, toys or a check to “close to 98,000 cases,” according to Capt. Charles F. Olsen. This compares With 80,000 cases handled in 1972 and 75,000 in 1971.

“I think it's the unemployment that's responsible for this increase,” Captain Olsen said. “We are getting people out of work, people who are really up against it.”

1972 Gifts Equalled

Captain Olsen reported that “about $376,000” had been received in contributions. “That just about equals last year's gifts,” he declared. “The interesting difference is that the number of contributors is down, but those who are sending in gifts seem to be making them bigger.”

The Urban League in Essex County reported that it helped about 200 families this Christmas, compared to 150 last year. Charles Sander, the league's executive director, said there had been a marked demand for warm clothing and extra food.

“I would attribute both to the energy problem,” he asserted. “People are just not getting enough heat. We had to relocate some because there is no heat where they live. We also have had some bad fires and people have been left homeless. And there is widespread unemployment.”

Mr. Sander said that monetary contributions this year were about the same as last.

In Passaic, the Rev. Daniel Noonan, who operates the Catholic Information Center, a storefront facility aimed at helping poor Spanish‐speaking Catholics, said that donations “have just about dried up.”

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My Son and His Wife Fight Dirty. Should I Get Involved? Some of the large pharmaceutical companies and industries in the PassaicBergen area failed to contribute either cash or food, as they did last year, Father Noonan said, adding:

“I think there is a spirit of selfishness in our nation. Perhaps it is due to the breakdown in our leadership, but the wealthy are not contributing. What we get is from people who don't have that much themselves.”

Father Noonan declared that he had a list of 100 families who needed “food baskets” at Christmastime, but that he was able to fill only 40. He said the 100 fam flies included about 400 children.

Goodwill Industries, which operates a storefront at 79 University Avenue in Newark, reported that 3,500 persons were helped with “food, clothing and toys.” The storefront served about 3,000 persons last Christmas.

“Demands for clothing, food and toys have risen dramatically,” said Rev. Elmer Van Dyke, the director. “In the inner cities especially, there are more folks in need of aid this year than there have been in the past. Part of this is due to our economic situation and changes in welfare aid.”

The Salvation Army spokesman concurred that demand in the cities was the greatest.

“Paterson, Jersey City and Newark—this is where the pinch is really being felt,” said Major Baxendale.

The New York Times, December 30, 1973 (New York, New York)

• Charities Deluged for Help