Video: Many social service agencies struggling to stay afloat

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TACOMA, Wash. - It's a chilling sign of the times - the Thanksgiving turkey supply at Tacoma's rescue mission is 80 percent lower than it should be right now.

Workers here are preparing for an onslaught of needy people over the weeks and months ahead.

With more than 15,000 meals served up in October, the mission's Frank Jackson says that's nearly double the demand from a year ago.

“We pray a lot,” he said.

The shelves are increasingly bare all across our area. In some cases there are no shelves at all, with at least two agencies closing down in Tacoma alone in recent weeks.

In King County, the closure of the Operational Emergency Center this summer after 35 years means thousands are going without basic necessities.

It's all putting much more pressure on surviving charities, now forced to help even more people with fewer resources. 

Turkeys are in short supply at Seattle's St. Vincent DePaul after a 50 percent increase in demand for food this Thanksgiving. 

And that means a heavier burden on everyone. From businesses like Hirai Farms in Moses Lake, donating 35,000 pounds of potatoes to two local relief agencies --to churches like one in Federal Way that has seen the need for Thanksgiving meals grow from just 40 families 10 years ago to 230 now.

Workers like Sondra Andrews hold to the hope that people will somehow continue to fill the need.

“It's week by week, waking in faith,” she said.

KING 5 is once again making it easy for you to help those in need this holiday season. Home Team Harvest is Saturday Dec. 6. We will be collecting food from 7a.m. to 3 p.m. at several locations throughout the Puget Sound region.