CHESTER — While the U.S. inflation rate made its way back to the low-single digits ahead of the 2025 Christmas shopping season, the demand for services at the Salvation Army Chester Corps is up in the doubles for the fall and winter as hardships linger behind broader improvements.

One of those double-digit increases is a 20 percent gain in the initial registry for food baskets and toys ahead of the 55th Merry Christmas Fund partnership between the Daily Times and Salvation Army. The 55th outing includes the debut of an online donation option.

The fund will again aim for $50,000, as the Chester Corps’ October sign-ups tallied about 160 families and 330 children for food and toy distributions on the week of Christmas. Calls and emails continue to arrive for the waiting list, meaning a po

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