Growing need for emergency food this Holiday Season - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

WARREN, Ohio - The number of those in need of emergency food this holiday season has increased all over the Mahoning Valley and company's like West Corporation in Niles are stepping up in a big way.

West Corporation employees donated 5,100 cans of food to the Warren Rescue Mission on Monday.

Mike Sifro, Director of Site Operations at West Corporation, says, "At West we have a large facility, and I think a lot of our employees take pride in what they do here. Anytime you have this many people come together and do this well for the community it's a great thing."

The donations gathered at West Corporation over the past two weeks will go a long way to help countless families and the elderly put food on the table over the next month.

Michelle Beauchene, Director of Development and Public Relations for the Warren Family Mission, is overwhelmed with the generosity of West Corporation's employees. "It's definitely important to the Warren Family Mission. Everything we get is purely based on donations. We don't get any government funding whatsoever, so our Mission depends on the kindness of people's hearts, and programs like this that companies, and churches and businesses do for us. We couldn't do what we do without them."

The Warren Family Mission has almost tripled the amount of food that they're giving away as compared to last year according to Beauchene.

The Salvation Army in Youngstown has also experienced an increase in the number of people coming to their Glenwood Avenue facility still struggling to make ends meet.

Major Elijah Kahn of the Salvation Army says, "Those of us who are blessed take these things for granted. But there are families and children and the elderly in the community who would not have some of the basic needs, necessities, like we have like having a hot meal. So as we celebrate Thanksgiving we're just asking the community to think of the less fortunate and to do something practical and tangible like providing a hot meal for someone in need."

You can also provide a helping hand by donating a few extra dollars to the Red Kettle Campaign in your area. Money donated to the bell ringers red kettles helps feed the needy here locally.

And the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley also needs your help with operating expenses. They've had to add an extra shift to take care of the increased number of people needing temporary housing and food.