"I don't see it getting any better,&uot; the Rev. James Cremeans said. "We see more and more people in need."

The Ironton City Welfare Mission released its annual report this week of its assistance to needy families. For the year ending Dec. 31, 2003, 4,405 local families received some form of assistance from the mission.

The forms of assistance runs the gamut of need: the city mission responded to 1,156 requests for food, and paid utility bills for 225 families and paid rent or provided medical assistance for 53 families. New and used clothing was given to 1,862 families.

At Christmas time, 1,048 children received toys from the city mission; 647 families picked up food baskets.

The city mission also gives needy people bus tickets (four of them during 2003), sent 49 children to summer camp and provided automobile assistance to 29 transient families.

Some of the families are referred to the city mission by other organizations and agencies. Some come asking for help because they have heard of the mission's reputation within the community.

"There has been a lot of heartbreak, people looking for help to get pulled back up a little," Cremeans said of those who have come seeking help.

"What we do, we do in the name of The Lord. We are a Christian organization and we want to reflect the love of Christ in what we do and we want people to see that."