Volunteers are amazed by the types of people that are walking into homesless shelters asking for help.

The Chief Operations Director at the St. Francis House says that because of the tough economic times, food donations are down by at least 30 percent this year. But people who need help still keep coming... The situation is no different at a nearby nursing center.

"I was really afraid that we were going to have to sleep in our vehicle and have nowhere to go," says Katie Vercouteren, who lost her job just less than a month ago.

Vercouteren says that she is happy to live at the St. Francis House. She wouldn't know how to explain to her child that Christmas would be without simple things like food or toys. Other people are coping with other losses. At the Parklands Nursing Center, Thomas Haseney didn't realize the scope of the problem until he became disabled himself. For more on this story please see video: