Massachusetts’ Debt Woes Bring New Class of Needy

The state’s economic woes are bringing a new kind of needy to Massachusetts’ charitable organizations. People unaccustomed to scrambling for mortgage payments or to pay heating bills are seeking help, officials said.

“There is definitely people coming in and saying ‘I lost my job, I haven’t worked in two weeks, I need help,’ ” said Jody Zeek, a clerk at the St. Vincent DePaul Society, a volunteer organization at the area’s Catholic parishes.

“I can tell almost immediately by their body language that this is not their cup of tea, but they are desperate,” said Herbert Hershey, a social worker for the Salvation Army in Framingham. “They’ve had good jobs, but they are so desperate now they come in here for food and fuel.”

His chapter of the Salvation Army has helped 60% more people this year than the year before, Hershey said.

“Last year I saw only those who were in emergencies, like fire, or the husband left, or something. But this year it’s families who are suddenly without,” Hershey said.

One woman, a Framingham resident, had a computer job that paid her about $40,000 before she was laid off. Now she bags groceries for $6.50 an hour, trying to meet her mortgage payments, Hershey said.

“My heart goes out to those who are very reluctant, very embarrassed. How can we help them?” he said.

Marcia Countie, the executive director of United Ways of Massachusetts, said layoffs and cuts in services provided by the state were pushing many families over the financial edge.

“It is a tremendous crisis,” said Countie. “In our economy today, all of us live one paycheck to another, and when that gets interrupted, for families it’s catastrophic.”

The state has been struggling to surmount an anticipated $825-million budget deficit. Last month, 706 state employees received layoff notices, according to figures released by state Administration and Finance Secretary L. Edward Lashman. By the end of December, the number of those laid off was expected to be more than 1,200.