Social workers busy getting the Christmas Cheer Toy Shop ready. Photo courtesy of the Moultrie Observer.

Cheers to the Moultrie Observer in Georgia for this article about school social workers who are pushing to get a charity toy shop well stocked before the holidays.

With the economy still in poor shape and unemployment high, Colquitt County school social workers said they expect demand to be 30 percent higher this year.

“This year is going to be a hard Christmas for a lot of people,” said Sandy Hooks, a social worker at Cox Elementary School. ” Money’s going to be tight. Rent’s not going down. The price of food’s not going down. Gas is not going down. Everything is up.”

To learn more about how social workers help provide for the physical and emotional needs of  young people visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Schools and Communities Webpage by clicking here.