Add holiday debt stress to the pile: Lorain County families struggling to put presents under the tree

The holidays are meant to be happy. But for many they're hard, especially in a year marred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Too many Lorain County families are struggling to afford Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa presents while also covering basic bills. Unemployment claims skyrocketed in March, and after a decline this summer have been ticking back up in recent weeks. Last week, 773 people in Lorain County filed initial unemployment claims. Long lines have become the new norm at food bank distributions. "We see the stress. Obviously, people are putting on a happy face, but they're dealing with a lot of things," said Susan Bartosch, director of external affairs for Second Harvest Food Bank. A year ago, her organization was serving 88,000 people in a four-county area, including Lorain County. Now that number has boomed to 144,000. That's 30 percent of the population in Second Harvest's service area. "That means 30 percent of the people have enough of an issue, at least one time, to access some help," Bartosch said. Food banks kept up with a huge growth in demand during the spring. But starting in August, the number of people asking for help putting meals on their tables spiked dramatically. In a Thanksgiving distribution at Midway Mall, Second Harvest served more than 2,500 families. It was the nonprofit's largest-ever food giveaway, at between 65 and 75 pounds of food per vehicle. Now Bartosch is bracing for another uptick through the remainder of the holidays. She said many people are desperate for the dignity of giving presents to loved ones, and that sometimes means putting food, rent and utilities second. Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are big business. Shoppers plan to spend an average of $650 on gifts this year, according to the National Retail Federation, and an additional $348 on food, decorations and other holiday purchases such as candy and cards. "Consumers are spending just as much this year on gifts and other items to celebrate the spirit of the holidays," the NRF said in its 2020 holiday forecast. Don't rush to spend more than you can afford, said Elaine Georgas, interim director of the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County. "Don't overextend yourself," she said. "Take a pause and be a little simpler this year. If you're facing a bad financial situation, don't feel the need to spend." It's not only OK, but healthy to take a look at your budget and scale back on holiday spending, she said. The MHARS Board has published a "Coping with the Holidays" booklet designed to spread that exact message. It says some of the best ways to create memories every year are inexpensive — spending time together reading, baking cookies, and sharing family history with the younger generation is the best gift of all. Instead of racking up debt spending hundreds on gifts, the booklet suggests making recordings of children singing to grandparents, or having grandparents make recordings of stories of the "good old days" for the family to share. Other alternatives include sharing favorite recipes, decorating gift bags and giving family heirlooms as gifts. If you do have the means to spend, consider making the holidays brighter for families in need. "These are definitely unprecedented times," said Capt. Jimmy Susa, Lorain County coordinator for the Salvation Army. He's seen the volume of applications shoot through the roof for holiday assistance in the form of food baskets, presents for children and help buying presents for children. "The spirit of Christmas is through the kids, so they are our main concern right now," he said. Families dealing with layoffs or furloughs are trying hard to cover rent, bills, transportation costs and put food on the table, Susa said, and many parents are carrying guilt that they can't afford presents for their kids. The Salvation Army is collecting toys for children who might not otherwise find any under the tree. You can donate at any branch in Lorain County. Susa said the organization is doing well in terms of gifts for younger children. The main need now is age-appropriate presents for ages 10 to 13. Holiday help isn't just about meeting physical needs, Susa said. It's also about spiritual and emotional needs, and the church-rooted Salvation Army makes a point of offering encouragement and prayer to those who seek assistance. Toys for Tots gave 20,576 toys to 5,143 children during the holidays in 2019. Coordinator Christy Howard said those numbers will explode this year. "We've had quite a few people coming through and telling us this is their first time asking for help," she said. "We're going to have to help each other. This is only the start. It's going to get worse before it gets better." The pandemic has made it harder to get toys. Because of social distancing, closures and health-related precautions, there are about 80 fewer Toys for Tots drop-off locations this year in Lorain County. In a normal year, Howard said her organization would be able to provide four toys for each child in need. This year it's likely to be just two, or possibly three. Toys for Tots also used to take parents shopping to pick out a gift for children. The pandemic makes that option unsafe in 2020, Howard said. "I've cried myself to sleep many a night knowing the parents aren't going to be able to come pick out that perfect toy. Having been there myself, I know it's a struggle," she said. She expects to distribute toys past Christmas, as long as donations keep rolling in — and there's always a waiting list. Howard said she even keeps a supply of toys in her car so she can make fast deliveries that roll in, especially from police officer "elves" who see kids in need and want to make a difference. At Oberlin Community Services, sponsors have stepped up to make sure children find a little joy for the holidays, according to Media and Development Associate Emily Murphy. The Holiday Helping Hands program, which provides presents for kids, probably won't break any records this year, but neither has need diminished, she said. Meanwhile, requests for assistance with other needs are ratcheting up, said OCS Client Services Coordinator Kathy Burns. More than 25 percent of people she talked with in November had never gotten any kind of services before. There's been an influx of people who have always worked, usually in well-paying jobs, but are now unemployed or on reduced hours for reasons beyond their control, Burns said. Some, especially single mothers, are looking for work, but are limited by child care schedules while schools have moved online. Murphy said there are many who only ask for help during the holidays, every few years when they are stretched to the point of breaking or for one-time extreme circumstances, like a pet health emergency. "There are a lot of people who are coming to us who just need that one little piece," she said, "because saving up means they can buy gifts for their kids." For others, the threat of eviction hangs heavy, as Karen Wu, staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society in Elyria, can testify. A federal eviction moratorium has been in place since March, but is set to expire at the end of the year. Wu said there's no extension on the horizon. That means people who were not able to make rent will have to pay up by the end of December or face being handed an eviction notice. Tenants could have months of backlogged rent payments that will suddenly be due all at once. "Once the moratorium ends, if people aren't able to get caught up, they can have another eviction filed against them," Wu said. "I think there will probably be an increase in the number of evictions filed because the economy hasn't improved and people are still facing unemployment." The moratorium only protected tenants who had unpaid rent, she said. Any other lease violation could still be served an eviction notice. Wu said the moratorium did not stop all evictions, it just slowed them down for most of the year. After the holiday season ends, she anticipates evictions will pick up. Contact Jason Hawk at news@lcnewspapers.com. Contact Laina Yost at lyost@chroniclet.com.