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Service groups operating in East County are scrambling to maintain services while facing a growing demand.

The economic downturn this year has contributed to more residents needing help, according to Amy Gabala, executive director of Manna Food Center, a Rockville-based nonprofit that operates a satellite facility at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center in Silver Spring.

Gabala said demand in East County has increased 50 percent from July to October 2007 to the same period this year. But, the East County is not alone: Manna Food has increased their efforts at locations throughout the county, according to Gabala.

"It's unprecedented," said Gabala of the increase. "We're in uncharted waters. … We're working harder to bring in more food," she said.

To meet rising demand, some nonprofits are turning to the Internet to get more donations. The Baltimore-based Maryland Food Bank has received $20,000 in online donations to its Virtual Food Drive since July, according to spokeswoman Shanna Yetman. The site allows visitors to purchase food by the case that will go to the food bank. Items include beef ravioli, green beans and cereal.

The group operates in all areas of the state except Montgomery and Prince George's counties, which fall under the Washington, D.C.-based Capital Area Food Bank.

Brian Smith, chief operating officer of the Capital Area Food Bank, said the nonprofit is examining the feasibility of an online virtual food drive similar to that offered by the Maryland Food Bank. The idea is to get more donations by expanding their online presence; social networking sites such as Facebook are also being examined, he said.

A threat to that expansion is the decrease in donations combined with a jump in demand. Smith said the food bank has seen a 12 percent drop in donations since last year. This takes away money from developing new programs, he added.

"It's hard to allocate what you don't have," Smith said.

While Montgomery County was rated the eighth richest county in the nation this year by Forbes Magazine, the Maryland Food Bank estimates that more than 20 percent of Marylanders seeking assistance have some form of post-high school education.

Officials at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center are developing programs to help those feeling the economic pinch. The center recently held a job fair and has sponsored other career-related events, including a yard sale Saturday that attracted 50 vendors, said Gwen Haney, a program specialist at the center. The event, held at the East County Community Center in Silver Spring, allowed residents to sell their goods in a large setting.

Proceeds from the sale of vendor space at the yard sale went to the Eastern Montgomery Emergency Assistance Network, a group that provides food, shelter and clothing to low-income East County residents. Vendors paid $10 for one table, $15 for two, $25 for three and $30 for four. It is estimated that about $1,000 was collected from the event.

"We always look for ways we can help the people in our community," Haney said.

Ellen Bogage, spokeswoman for Unique Thrift Store, a chain which operates a store in Hillandale, said her organization has donated more to service groups to help meet the growing demand. The company acquires items for its stores from the National Children's Center, the Vietnam Veterans Association and the Lupus Foundation.

Bogage said more nonprofits are asking her organization for donations.

"[The need] is growing due to the economy," Bogage said. "We have more to sell and we're purchasing more from the charities."

The economic downturn is also affecting affordable housing in the county.

Action in Montgomery, a nonprofit comprised of different religious organizations throughout the county, has requested the county provide additional funding for affordable housing. AIM has pushed for

$144 million in affordable housing since 2001 and $29.7 million to renovate community centers in historic African-American neighborhoods.

While the group understands county budget shortfalls could reduce funding for programs it supports, AIM Clergy Co-Chairman Jeffrey MacKnight said children's initiatives such as Head Start are top priorities for AIM and should not see budget cuts.

MacKnight, a pastor at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church in Bethesda, said housing and transit options in East County are a particular concern to the organization. The economic downturn may force county residents of all income levels to leave their homes because of high housing costs, he said.

"It just takes a job loss and a couple of months," MacKnight said.

To visit the Capital Area Food Bank's donations page,

go to capitalareafoodbank.org/support/

To visit the Manna Food Bank donation's site, go to partners.guidestar.org/controller/searchResults.gs?action

_donateReport=1&partner=networkforgood&ein=52-1289203

To visit the Maryland Food Bank's Virtual Food Drive,

go to kintera.org