The Dallas Morning News Charities kicked off its 24th annual campaign Tuesday with initial donations totaling $456,686 and facing a seemingly insatiable demand for assistance.

The fund drive, which will solicit donations through Jan. 31, benefits 24 local nonprofit agencies that provide food, clothing, shelter, emergency assistance, job training and counseling.

"This is an extremely important year for funding nonprofits that serve vulnerable people," said Mike Faenza, president and chief executive officer of Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, which is new to The Charities this year. The alliance operates The Bridge homeless assistance center in downtown Dallas.

"This is an important time for Dallas to come through," he said.

While many are aware that holiday charity drives assist people traditionally associated with being needy, residents of some of the nation's most affluent neighborhoods find themselves in need this year.

"The myth is that everyone in Frisco is affluent," said Jill Cumnock, executive director of the Frisco Family Services Center. "The reality is, they are being impacted just as much as everybody else. We are seeing a 45 percent increase in clients this year over last year and a 52 percent increase in new clients."

The 24 charities offer support over an area that extends from Denton County to Duncanville and from Arlington to Mesquite.

At Sharing Life Community in Mesquite, the other charity new to the campaign, Teresa Jackson is seeing former donors seeking help.

"I'm having more and more people who used to come through the back door where my office is and drop off a check," Jackson said. "They are now coming through that office door and closing it and saying, 'I need to talk to you. I lost my job.' "

Faenza said that with more people losing jobs and insurance, there is an increased need for public services across the board.

"We're seeing many more people who are recently homeless," Faenza said. "It represents a real challenge for philanthropy at this point."

Several large contributions were announced at the Tuesday kickoff: $140,000 from funds managed by the Communities Foundation of Texas; $75,000 from the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas; $150,000 from the J.L. Williams Foundation; and $25,000 from Scott and Gina Ginsburg with Boardwalk Auto Group.

Donations that had been collected since the end of last year's drive, about $67,000, were awarded to the 24 groups Tuesday. The Communities Foundation of Texas will distribute funds collected every two weeks.

This year's campaign will stress the importance of small donations. A $25 contribution can provide food for a family of four for a week, $50 can provide electric service for a month and $100 can provide transitional housing for two families for a month.

The campaign's longevity shows it has withstood the test of time, said Bob Mong, editor of The News and chairman of The Charities.

Mong thanked the Communities Foundation of Texas for its assistance processing donations and maintaining donor records. He also thanked donors, many of whom are readers of the newspaper.

"That's what it's all about," Mong said of the campaign. "It's got a lot of energy and a lot of chemistry."

The Charities has raised more than $19.5 million from more than 39,000 donors since it started in 1986. That includes last year's campaign, which brought in more than $927,000 from more than 1,800 contributors.

The News pays all administrative costs so that 100 percent of the donations go directly to the charities in the program.

Tax-deductible donations may be sent to The Dallas Morning News Charities, 5500 Caruth Haven Lane, Dallas, Texas 75225-8146, or they can be made online at dallas news.com/charities. For more information, call 214-346-5546.