With more and more people out of work and utility bills skyrocketing during a long, hot summer, so many Tomball area residents are seeking help that one local charity is having to turn people away.

Tomball Emergency Assistance Ministries (TEAM) announced last week that they are suspending financial assistance services to residents of the Tomball area.

TEAM Director Loma Holmes said since the beginning of the year, so many families have come to the charity seeking assistance that they ran out of money.

“We were just really too generous,” she said. “We just don’t have any money.”

Through the first six months of 2009, TEAM provided their clients with more than $93,000 in financial assistance. Last year TEAM donated $138,000 to members of the Tomball community.

“We just had so many people and we hate to say no to them, but we have bills here too,” Holmes added.

Along with its resale shop and food bank, TEAM has been providing financial assistance to the Tomball community since it opened in 1986. Holmes said they have helped struggling families pay for “anything that’s an emergency to them,” such as utilities, prescriptions and automotive repairs.

TEAM relied on money earned through its resale shops, as well as donations from churches and a few grants they receive each year to help fund its financial assistance program.

Holmes explained that rising energy costs and more people losing their jobs has contributed to the increase in need for the Tomball area. She said that on July 14 TEAM provided food to 212 people, the most the charity has seen in one day since its inception.

In other TEAM news, they are currently accepting sign ups for their summer Back-to-School program, where they provide school supplies to needy children. Anyone who wishes to help can purchase school supplies and donate them to TEAM so that they can help equip children for the coming school year.

Holmes said the deadline to donate school supplies to TEAM is Aug. 1. The deadline to sign up for school supply assistance is July 31. TEAM provides school supplies to students only attending Tomball Independent School District schools.

For more information, call 281-351-6700.

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