When Mildred wasn’t sure she could afford toys as Christmas gifts to her great-grandchildren, of whom she has partial custody, the Salvation Army’s Empty Stocking Fund came through, she said.

Janet Cox, mother of three, said Christmas was looking dim this year before signing up for the Empty Stocking Fund.

Having fallen on hard times after losing her job, Christina Cox brought two of her three children, 3-year-old twins Harley and Lorie, to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with friend Shawn Conway at Florence’s Manna House.

Officials say at last count, the numbers for the Red Kettle Campaign were off by about 10.7 percent and some think the economy has a lot to do with it.

Money and time are two things Lorrine Williams just doesn’t have during the holidays.

No one knows better than Lindsay Schavoni how hard Christmas can be.

Last year’s Christmas was rough for Jospehine Serrano, a Florence mother of three. Serrano was worried about this year, as well, until a friend told her about the Salvation Army’s Empty Stocking Fund.

Losing her job was the least of Christina Cox’s worries.

Kocha, 28, moved to Florence to get a better job, but hasn’t had luck in finding one that pays more than minimum wage.

Annette is 29 years old, a former Wellman Inc. employee and the mother of five children: three girls aged 13, 5 and 4, and two boys aged 12 and 8.

Lasonya is a 33-year-old disabled, single mother with multiple sclerosis.

The Empty Stocking Fund enters its 27th year today providing needy people with relief for the holidays. The fund is a joint effort between the Salvation Army and the Morning News to bring Christmas to impoverished and low-income families in six Pee Dee counties.