Colorful presents, ranging from barbie dolls to action figure sets, lie in rows in the storage area at Kitsap Community Resources.

Jackets, shirts and other basic clothing items rest on hangers at the back of the room, waiting for children to pick them up in time for Christmas.

Community volunteers are assisting KCR by placing gifts in large bags on the tables, items that were specifically requested by children of need. They are helping KCR conduct its annual Christmas Angel program.

“It’s a great program. It gets us out of the office and into the community,” said Jared Rusk, an AmeriCorps volunteer working with Kitsap Youth Action. “It’s neat because it’s a direct present. You get to pick out the presents and give them to the kids. The best part is when you distribute them to the families.”

Housing Director Darlene Cook said KCR’s Christmas Angel list has increased by more than 50 percent from last year amid the economic recession. In Kitsap County, the unemployment rate rose from 5.9 percent at the end of 2008 to a high of 8.4 percent in March, though this figure has dropped to 7.1 percent as of October, the most recent month which statistics are available.

Each year, businesses and individuals sign up as sponsors for as many of the children on the list as they want. The kids then sign a form asking for three gifts they want and three gifts they need.

“We want people to understand that it’s more than just about toys,” Cook said. “These kids need somewhere to sleep as well.”

Due to the increased demand, KCR has extended its deadline for sponsors from its regular deadline at the end of November and is still looking for sponsors, Cook said.

Of the 3,800 kids on the list, about 2,600 of them are sponsored.

“They will all get gifts, just with the sponsors they will get exactly what they want,” said Kathleen Hackney, community relations and development manager with KCR.

Gifts remaining at the end of the Christmas season are kept in storage for children who come to the center in need during the course of the year. The clothing is bundled into bags to provide children with a three-day supply.

“The clothes that are not given away are given to those who come to us with nothing,” Cook said.

Volunteers from multiple local churches, school groups and organizations have assisted KCR with organizing the gifts. Cook said one class even helped KCR create stockings full of presents for the children.

Cook stressed that Kitsap has no specific program for directly assisting homeless children, saying that children in need are in abundance in the county.

“It surprises me every year, the number of children who just ask for shirts and underwear,” Cook said. “I’ve seen miracles happen with this program.”