They're both out of work, and spend their weeks filling out job applications.
"We've had a hard year," Huskey said. "People keep saying if you don't have a job, you're not looking. That's not the truth."
With the help of the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program that provides donated gifts to disadvantaged children and seniors, their kids will get to unwrap Christmas gifts this year.
Approximately 250 volunteers, mostly high school students, gathered Saturday at a now vacant Food Lion on Pleasant Ridge Road to distribute the Angel Tree gifts to qualifying families in the culmination of the Salvation Army's largest annual project.
Major Don Vick, Knoxville area commander of the Salvation Army, said Angel Tree preparation takes all year. All Angel Tree applicants must qualify for assistance, meeting federal minimum poverty guidelines among other qualifying factors.
"The Salvation Army is really a conduit for being able to give to others at Christmas," Vick said. "It's a gift to the volunteers as well as to the families."
About 1,200 families in Knox County received donations Saturday, and a total of approximately 5,500 people from six East Tennessee counties, including 2,000 nursing home residents, will receive gifts by next week.
Vick said the needy families usually receive children's clothes, toys and "a good hearty Christmas meal." Twenty-five percent of the families will also receive a bike.
But that's not the only reason he commits time to ringing bells and helping with the distribution. The Salvation Army helped him when his family was going through a tough time last year with food and Christmas gifts. Now he wants to repay them.
"It's important for me to give back a portion of what I've been given," May said.
The Salvation Army said they're seeing more people who've never needed help before sign up for assistance. They had a 12% increase in applicants this year.
"I've always been able to get him [my son] Christmas presents and not have to go through the agencies," said Trista Rosingol.
Despite the increase, the community's donations came through. So Trista and the rest of the parents don't have to disappoint their little ones this year.
"He's always asking, 'Is Santa coming? Is it time to open presents?' And I'm just thankful to have presents for him to open," Rosingol said.
In addition to the children. thousands of seniors will also get presents through their program this Christmas.
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