October 31, 2008 United Way sees big increase in need Play video

(NECN: John Moroney) - The economy is taking its toll. People are finding it harder and harder to make ends and as a result, the United Way is now looking to help out.

A new push by the United Way is seeking to make sure that the basic necessities of life don't fall through the cracks. People are in need and some of them are getting desperate, with the nation's economy teetering on the brink of a recession.

June Cooper has seen a lot of the hard-luck cases as executive director of the City Mission Society of Boston.

"This isn't something that's just happening to people that we typically think might be getting resources from entitlement programs. We're seeing this happen to people who have jobs," says Cooper.

In Massachusetts, the United Way's 18 chapters launched a campaign to help people with the most basic needs. The Community Support Fund will help create a safety net for the state's most vulnerable.

The demand for fuel assistance, food pantries and shelter is up because of the poor economy, but the jump in housing foreclosures is putting real pressure on people.