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HUNTINGTON -- The economic upheaval that is likely to force more people to seek help in the months ahead also is threatening charitable organizations' ability to lend a hand.

Many charities in the Tri-State say donations for holiday and year-round help are down this year, from the coins collected in red kettles to food drives. And they note that already more people are requesting help.

Organizations so far feeling the effects of less giving to their respective causes are the Salvation Army, the Huntington Area Food Bank, and Information and Referral Service, which works to connect local people who want to give with local people in need.

"We're struggling this year more so than in the last 30 years, I think," said Francie Roberts-Buchanan, director of Information and Referral Services. "We are trying to balance the economy as it is now with some of the wishes that are out there."

So far, this year's campaign by the United Way of the River Cities is ahead of last year's pace, but that doesn't erase the uncertainty.

"With the economy and things changing daily, I have no idea what tomorrow's going to bring," said Cassey Bowden, director of resource development and marketing for United Way of the River Cities. "We're hearing that the economy is affecting all types of businesses and organizations."

The local United Way supports more than 30 partners providing everything from after-school care to prescription assistance in Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln and Mason counties in West Virginia and Lawrence County in Ohio. The United Way's goal is to raise $1.5 million by Dec. 31. The organization has reached about 36 percent of that, Bowden said.

The economic news nationally has been grim for months, and job losses are starting to hit the Tri-State. The Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Buffalo will release 120 temporary workers by the end of January. AK Steel in Ashland, Ky., is temporarily shutting down most of its operations next week and laying off about 650 workers until at least mid-January. Steel of West Virginia in Huntington has recently laid off 52 workers, and about 40 more in spurts earlier in the year.

A September report from the Giving USA Foundation, which regularly publishes data and trends about charitable giving, says charitable giving slows during recessions or economic slowdowns, although not by large amounts overall. The average rate of change in giving during a recession is a drop of 1 percent, according to the report.

Contributions to human service organizations declined for a third year in a row, dropping by an inflation-adjusted 1.1 percent in 2004, the latest data examined in the report.

Some local groups are feeling it.

The local Salvation Army kettles stationed outside stores throughout the area are about $3,000 behind last year, according to Salvation Army Capt. Bob Mullins.

"I know people are giving as much as they can, and we appreciate every nickel and every dime. Our kettles survive off of the nickels and dimes people drop in," he said.

The Salvation Army hopes to raise $120,000 this year, Mullins said, and current donations total about $30,000.

Donations to the Salvation Army in the past have gone to help people such as Russell Ferguson of Huntington. Ferguson has a 3-year-old son and said he knows firsthand how tough life can be for area families.

Before getting a full-time job in maintenance at the Salvation Army, Ferguson was going to the local charity for help in paying his electric bill.

He first became familiar with the Salvation Army as a child on the Angel Tree. His family also received holiday food baskets when he was young.

Mullins said the Salvation Army helps people with everything from rent and utility assistance to supplying food and clothes. More than 10,000 people were helped last year. More than 3,500 people on average are helped during the holidays in Cabell, Wayne, Mason and Lincoln counties, he said.

Mullins said he and his wife are paying closer attention to where their money goes -- an attitude likely shared by most area residents.

"I used to stop and get a cup of coffee and something from McDonald's. Now that's out. We're just trying to conserve as much as we can because we know that in the new year it's not looking really good," he said.

Mullins said the recent layoffs at AK Steel and store closings at places such as Steve & Barry's and Linens 'N Things don't help. He said Salvation Army is opening its Angel Tree to anyone who's had a layoff in the past 30 days.

This year's Angel Tree is already seeing an increase in names of about 10 percent, with more than 1,300 children registered, he said.

"We know with all the layoffs, there's just going to be a dramatic increase in the number of people coming to us for help," Mullins said.

There may be less gifts like electronics and more presents like winter clothes under many Christmas trees this year, said Roberts-Buchanan of Information and Referral Services located in Cabell County Public Library.

Roberts-Buchanan said this year demands a focus on simpler, more thoughtful gifts.

Information and Referral used to receive calls from groups saying they wanted to "adopt" a few families to buy food and gifts for on Christmas. This year, she's not hearing much of that.

"I have had 1 percent of what I used to get," she said.

People who want to help this year are looking more toward doing things like collecting hats and mittens, Roberts-Buchanan said.

One of the hardest tasks, she said, is figuring out how to serve area teens, many of whom tend to ask for bigger ticket items.

"It's hard to fill that, but it's hard to even ask someone to fill that at this point," she said.

Fewer corporate donations nationwide are impacting people in the Tri-State, too.

The Huntington Area Food Bank is supplied by the largest hunger relief agency in the United States. The bank is seeing fewer donations as a result of less food donated from large companies, said Brooke Ash, public/agency relations coordinator for the food bank.

The Huntington Area Food Bank distributes food to hundreds of pantries in 17 counties in the Tri-State.

Ash said both national and local food and monetary donations are down compared to this time last year. She said local donations are down by about 20 percent. At the same time, every food pantry and soup kitchen Ash visits seems to be seeing a significant increase in people needing help.

She said the food bank gets a lot of support from the community, especially around the holidays, and she expects donations to pick up.

She said it's easy to start a food drive, and the food bank will supply barrels and promotional materials to any business or organization interested.

But even those who really want to help are being careful about how they do so this year, whether they drop coins in the kettle less often or buy generic instead of name brand gifts, Roberts-Buchanan said.

"People who have it are afraid to spend more than they need to, and lots of people don't have it to spend," she said.

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Chris Harris/The Herald-Dispatch

Linda Ratcliff makes a donation to the Salvation Army bell ringer Kirby Anderson Thursday, November 20, 2008, at the U.S. 60 Wal-Mart.

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