When it comes to the holiday spirit of charitable giving, sometimes teenagers whose families seek assistance from welfare get left out.
Jodi Carnes, director of Portsmouth’s welfare department, said many organizations that take holiday gift donations aim their programs at younger children.
For at least the past 15 years, their office has been collecting gift cards from various stores to offer to the teens.
“I think it’s an absolutely wonderful program that the city of Portsmouth found a gap and they’ve been filling it,” Carnes said.
This November, Portsmouth’s welfare office has seen almost twice the number of families and individuals seeking their help and services compared to 2022.
“We’re very lucky that we have a very affluent community, but we still have a community that can’t meet all their needs and we have a very giving and generous city,” Carnes said.
Carnes said an increase in client intake has been seen at other seacoast charitable organizations like the Gather food pantry.
In a press release, the non-profit Gather reported that they now serve more than 10,000 individuals per month, up nearly 24% compared to 2023. It’s been some of their highest demand seen in their 200 year history.
The welfare office is still accepting donations this year.
