Taxes have increased. Northeast Pennsylvania's unemployment rate remains the highest in the state. The strain on area residents continues to grow.
For the region's charities, that means demand is rising for aid and services, from mortgage assistance to a hot meal. And for some charities, finding donors is becoming harder. Some donors now find themselves needing the services they once helped fund.
"We've heard from many people who said they never thought they'd be coming to the Salvation Army," said Capt. James Kisser, director of the Salvation Army in Scranton.
The local Salvation Army's Red Kettle campaign ended the holiday season $22,000 short of its $175,000 goal. That leaves a budget hole that must be filled with additional donations, or cuts must be made.
In addition to the economy affecting how much people can donate, changes in store policies also impacted the total collected, Capt. Kisser said.
Some national chains allowed the kettles outside their stores starting on the day after Thanksgiving, a later start-date than in previous years. The devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy in late October also may have impacted donations this holiday season, as some people had already spent their "discretionary dollars" by giving to charities to help those victims, Capt. Kisser said.
With more people requesting assistance than the staff can remember ever seeing before, tough choices will need to be made.
"Hopefully, it won't be obvious to the general community," Capt. Kisser said. "The people who come to us for help won't feel that we have to scale back. That's my goal."
In December, Friends of the Poor saw more people at its holiday dinner and toy and food giveaways than ever before, said Sister Ann Walsh, I.H.M., director of the organization.
The charity is counting on continued support from community members, though Sister Walsh knows the donors will likely have less to give this year.
"Whatever we have, we give. If we don't have it, our bags aren't as full as we would like them to be," she said. "By the grace of God, it all comes together."
With state budget cuts, area nonprofits are relying more on other funding sources, including the generosity of area residents. Though the region's high unemployment rate has made it difficult to raise funds in recent years, the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties met its $3.5 million campaign goal for 2013,
"It comes down to those individuals who are willing to do what they can," said Nikki Keller, vice president of community impact marketing for the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties.
Though fewer people are able to donate, and those who can may not be able to donate as much, more people are looking for volunteer opportunities, Ms. Keller said.
"We've been very fortunate," she said.
Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com, @hofiushallTT on Twitter