The annual Christmas Bureau Distribution Day is helping thousands of local residents with aid from the Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army of Syracuse’s annual Christmas Bureau Distribution Day will help around 10 thousand community members according to the Syracuse Salvation Army’s Director of County Operations Major Charles Roberts. Those who qualify will receive everything from food parcels to toys. He said it’s one of the best days of the year.
“It’s mind-blowing,” Roberts said. “It really is mind-blowing.”
Roberts said although distribution day is just one day of the year, the Christmas season stays year-round at Salvation Army. They serve around 40 thousand community members annually, a number Roberts said may be increasing. He says there has been an increase in need in the area due to the rising costs of goods and inflation.
“Our food pantry, for example, is up 25-30% over last year, which was a 65% increase from the year prior,” Roberts said. “We can’t keep enough food on the shelves. Food insecurity is a big deal in this town, which is ironic because we are really central New York’s bread basket, all the farming that happens.”
And while need is increasing, Roberts said donation goals aren’t being met.
“It’s a struggle for people,” Roberts said. “Because of course inflation that hits the people that we’re serving also hits the people who are donating and so our monetary donations are down.”
Roberts said it takes a village to continue to provide the same level of service at the Salvation Army.
“We provide a full gamut of services to help the entire family, to remain stable, to remain in their homes, to remain together,” Roberts said. “And that brings some real particle help and spiritual hope to a lot of people.”
He says events like the distribution day help to bring the community together and meet those needs.
