Nonprofits persevere with fewer resources

MANATEE — Late tonight, Jim McKee will fire up the ovens at the Salvation Army to begin the culinary marathon that will culminate in the group’s annual free Thanksgiving dinner.

McKee, the organization’s food services manager, and his crew of volunteers will prepare between 150 and 200 turkeys for an expected crowd of 600 people who have nowhere else to go for the holiday.

On the side, they will pile mounds of mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing and cornbread.

Meanwhile, downtown, the First United Methodist Church and its partners — Trinity, Manatee and Faith UMCs — will be hard at work on their own free meal, except their entree of choice will be pork tenderloin.

It will be a day of giving from donors and volunteers and thanks from Manatee County people who are truly in need. First United Methodist Church for lunch, the Salvation Army for dinner.

In a way, the Thanksgiving dinner preparations signal the beginning of Manatee County’s unofficial season of charity, a time for nonprofit organizations and individuals to concentrate their efforts to help the needy through the holidays and store up funds and materials they can use throughout the year.

But McKee’s planning for Thursday’s dinner in particular offers a glimpse into what Manatee’s charitable organizations might expect this holiday season. He says he will have enough food on hand to feed 1,000, almost twice as many as last year, just in case the need is greater than expected.

The reason? Visits to the Salvation Army’s nightly free meal is up 30 percent to 40 percent from past years to almost 300 people, according to Maj. Robert Parker, the organization’s area coordinator for Manatee County.

Fortunately, the need has not yet overwhelmed the supply.

“We’re very appreciative of what people give us,” McKee said. “Every time we think things are going wrong, it goes right. We might be in tough times, but people always come through for us.”

But Thanksgiving is one day.

What does the upcoming holiday season hold for an increasing number of area people navigating an economic wasteland of unemployment and homelessness?

That’s what Manatee County’s charitable organizations are facing as they adjust to skyrocketing need and dwindling donations brought on by economic struggles.

“It’s going to be very tough for a lot of people,” said Kristen Theisen, the chief development officer for Meals on Wheels PLUS, which runs the Food Bank of Manatee. “It’s going to be tough for the nonprofits who are trying to help them because people just aren’t able to give as much as they have in the past.”

Sometimes, though, charitable groups get a pleasant surprise. Greg Witham, the Manatee County coordinator for the Toys for Tots program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, said he was stunned last holiday season when the community came through with 30,000 toys that gave 6,500 kids a brighter Christmas.