Salvation Army Struggles With Increasing Demand

But the money will be spent on programs in the communities where it was collected, and many cities with the most need for Salvation Army assistance — such as Detroit and Las Vegas — are having trouble raising funds, national spokeswoman Melissa Temme said.

"It's crisis time," said Charles Desiderio, director of development at the organization's Las Vegas' office. "And I don't think we've seen the worst of it."