NASHUA – Even a little rain couldn’t douse the growing need in the community for help this holiday season.

A line of people gathered outside the Front Door Agency on Friday morning, waiting to sign up for The Telegraph Santa Fund. This year, the program is already busier than ever, said Maryse Wirbal, CEO of the Front Door Agency.

“We’re already over 300 applications after two nights of our four-night sign-ups, so we’re above where we usually, typically are.”

Gifts are distributed to people in the community by the Front Door Agency and the Salvation Army of Nashua. The Telegraph collects money and other items for the Santa Fund, and for five years in a row, people have donated more than $100,000. The fund was started by The Telegraph’s publisher in 1962 to help struggling families get through the holiday.

“What we do is we actually offer holiday gifts to families in need that are income-eligible,” Wirbal said. “And basically, what we do is we make sure every child in the Greater Nashua area has a great Christmas.”

The last of the sign-up sessions will be 4-6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Front Door Agency, 7 Concord St.

The program gives gifts to children from infancy up to age 18, provided he or she has a high school I.D., Wirbal said.

“We basically serve over 500 families annually, providing gifts, and we couldn’t do it without The Santa Fund and also our adopted family program,” she said. “They’ll actually adopt the child and purchase the items on their wish list to the best of their ability.

“It’s not a generic gift they get. It’s actually something they’ve requested. So, it’s really personalized.”

The fund provides gifts to those who qualify based on income determination guidelines, which focus on a family’s or an individual’s gross income, Wirbal said. After qualification, a child is “adopted” by a business or person who then gives the child a desired holiday gift from his or her wish list.

To be eligible for the program, a family of two or single people must make $37,100 or less, and a family of seven must make $57,500 or less, according to the guidelines. Food stamps, child support and pensions, among other categories, are also factors for qualification, according to the guidelines.

“What we do for our process is they come and they fill out an application, and we verify all their stuff, their income, that they qualify and so forth, and then we have volunteers that will take them back, and on a computer we will do their wish lists,” Wirbal said. “And then we send those wish lists to people who want to adopt or shop for families.”

For more information or to learn how to donate, visit www.nashuatelegraph.com/santafund.

Emily Hoyt can be reached at 594-6402 or ehoyt@nashuatelegraph.com.