for disadvantaged children.

This was disclosed in the Senate by Opposition Sen. Terry Lister last Friday.

This week Salvation Army officials confirmed that this year's demand for toys and food hampers had surpassed that of previous years.

Last year, the Army distributed $109,670 worth of goods to 676 needy families at Christmas. Those families included 929 children and 820 adults.

And while figures were not available yesterday, both Maj. Gilbert St. Onge and the Army's family services director Envoy Janice Dill said the demand was greater.

"The requests are ever so ever more,'' Envoy Dill said, adding that this did not include some of the most needy whose pride would not let them ask for help.

"I've used over 550 pieces of meat so that means they've given out that many hampers and I have more to get ready,'' she said.

But while the demand was greater, so was the response, she added.

"Some people did not call up (to chose a name from the Santa Anonymous gift list), they just brought gifts in,'' Envoy Dill said. "In fact, we are over-sponsored as far as toys go. So I asked if they could give food or clothing instead.'' Sen. Lister said the greater demand for help showed that while the Finance Minister continued to claim that the recession was behind Bermuda, families were still hurting.

He added that total employment may be improving, but some people who lost their jobs three years ago were still unemployed or working fewer hours.

People who used to work from eight to five and then received overtime for any additional hours were now working from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. because of the restructuring going on in most companies, Sen. Lister said, noting such a schedule rarely allowed one to take on a second job.

He said it also meant that those working such hours were losing four hours of employment every day.

That affected the family, he said.