A donation is made as Salvation Army bell ringer Ruben Rios works outside a store November 21, 2003 on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Funds raised through the Chicagoland bell ringing campaign will be used year-round to help feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, give help to the hurting and restore hope to the lost. Red Kettle funds help support 34 Salvation Army social service programs throughout the city and suburbs. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
CHICAGO (CBS) — The Salvation Army’s Evanston Corp is a bustling place, especially this time of year when it expects coat vouchers to 200 people, 2,000 toys to 900 children and food baskets to 500 families over and above the growing demand of its food pantry.
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It is accepting in-kind food and toy donations, but it has lost the storefront space it needed to assemble baskets, wrap the toys and serve its clients.
Its commander, Major Colleen Michaud, is getting frantic.
“We have nowhere to store stuff and everybody that I have asked to rent a property, nobody would agree,” said Michaud.
Michaud is hoping for manna from heaven in the form an Evanston storefront just between now and Christmas.
