As if that were not enough, the Schmidts had a more immediate concern as trick-or-treaters made their evening forays. Their electricity was turned off that day because they owed $2,200. They had fallen behind because, months earlier, Karl's pay had been cut by a quarter.
While they sparingly used a generator to power the house, they sought help. In the end, the Salvation Army and four private groups, along with Carroll County, pitched in $1,300. The Schmidts came up with $900. After three weeks, power was restored.
He goes looking for work every day, intent on regaining self-sufficiency. "Right now, we don't know which way to go," he said. "I'm just thankful for the help we've got so far."
Around the region, people have swamped the 211 "First Call for Help" operated by United Way of Central Maryland. The hot line is on track to get 20,000 calls this month for housing, utility or holiday assistance, 7 percent more calls than in October.
United Way's fundraising campaign for next year is projected to fall short by 10 percent, or $4 million.
"We've done a great deal already to trim our operating expenses, but the last thing this community can afford is for us not to be able to fund the needs," said spokesman Chuck Tildon. "So we're trying to do everything we can to raise more money."
But if that fails, he said, "tough decisions are going to have to be made." United Way, which raises money for distribution to charitable groups, raised $39 million last year. Catholic Charities was the second-largest recipient behind the American Red Cross at $1.8 million.
Howard County, one of the nation's wealthiest, has hardly been immune to the downturn.
The main homeless shelter, the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, is persistently full or overflowing. The nonprofit Community Action Council reports twice as many requests for help with utility bills compared with this time last year.
Linda Hayes, who runs the Christ Church Link telephone referral service, says the numbers tell only part of the story.
"It's not just people calling with turnoff notices, but people whose power was turned off months ago," she said. "We're seeing more water turnoffs, where you've got families with young children, babies even, that don't have water."
More and more, she said, people can't pay either their utilities or rent and have scant money for food. Some have lost jobs, others don't make enough even with two jobs. With so much need but finite resources, people get less than the amount they are seeking, she said: "There are holes in the safety network in Howard County."
