This year, there's more clunk than clink in the kettles and pots of local charities.
"It's the post-9/11 economy that's killing us," said Jenny Knorr, spokeswoman for western Pennsylvania division of the Salvation Army.
"This is my tenth Christmas with the Army. I don't recall kettles being as far behind as this year."
The charity has $305,000 to raise in 28 counties by tonight. The Army had been $80,000 behind last year's pace until Tuesday. That's when Helen and Henry Posner — he's chairman of the Greentree-based Hawthorne Group — made a Christmas Eve donation of $80,000 to close the gap.
The past year's layoffs and closings at US Airways, Ames, PharMor and Kaufmann's have dampened fund-raising efforts and strained charities' resources across the region this holiday season.
For example, this year the Salvation Army has spent more than $1 million on the mortgages, tuition bills, medical expenses and car payments of laid-off US Airways workers.
"Not only is that money going to help those people," Knorr said, "but those people were our former donors."
To counter the dour economy, some kettles have corporate sponsors, much like stadiums have naming rights. Vector Security, for example, underwrites advertising for the Salvation Army to sponsor a kettle.
And PNC Bank loans 500 employees on company time to man the kettles. One group rented Victorian costumes to resemble Charles Dickens characters.
"Anything different at a kettle site that will catch attention, whether it's music or people in costume, makes a big difference," Knorr said.
"We've had people bring their dog and put antlers on the dog. That works because people want to pet their dog."
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank has been feeling the pinch, too.
"Some people who gave last year are receiving food assistance, and others that gave last year may be giving less because of feeling insecurity about the future," said Joyce Rothermel, CEO of the food bank. "And others, realizing the impact this continued downturn has had, are giving more because they understood the need is greater."
The crunch is so tight that in the past three or four months, the food bank has been sending more food out than it has been bringing in.
This marked the first year the food bank budgeted $400,000 to buy food and give it away.
Like a canary in a coal mine, food pantries are the first charities to notice trouble, said Kevin Kearns, president and CEO of the William J. Copeland Fund. It's a nonprofit group that provides technical assistance to other charities.
"Food is the most immediate need," Kearns said. "Even families who would not normally be clients of kitchens are turning to them for assistance. You're seeing more stable families and not the desperately poor."
The United Way of Allegheny County's fund drive runs from September 2002 to February 2003. Its target is $39 million, but the agency faces a $1.8 million shortfall because of corporate closings and layoffs. In addition, foundation gifts lag 8 percent compared to last year and corporate gifts, 6 percent, said United Way spokesman Bob De Witt.
"One thing we're seeing across the board is the impact of a soft economy across our campaign," he said.
There are some signs of optimism.
Mellon Bank raised $2.1 million — a record for the company. And a young leaders' group for people 45 and younger has expanded.
Last year, 125 members raised about $270,000. This year, 191 members have raised more than $476,000.
Northside Common Ministries raised about $10,000 last year for its holiday appeal. The nonprofit group operates a shelter for homeless men and a food pantry,
"We're not there yet, but it's not over," said Executive Director Janet Holtz.
To compensate, Northside is considering launching an entrepreneurial venture that will provide a base of support.
"Of course," she said, "it takes money to start it up. You just can't start it in a vacuum."
