WINDHAM — More than a dozen paper tags hung off a little plastic tree near the entrance to Lake House Tavern, each with a holiday wish handwritten on it.

“Toothpaste.” “Paper towels.” “Dish detergent.”

This is the second year the restaurant has hosted a so-called “giving tree” for the local food pantry. The tags reflect requests from vulnerable children and seniors throughout the community — ranging from toys to outerwear to household necessities — that people can volunteer to fulfill.

“It kills me to see, like, ‘paper towels,’ ” Nichole Thomas, a manager at the tavern, said Wednesday, glancing at one of the tags. “That’s what you want for Christmas: paper towels.”

Colette Gagnon, who runs Windham’s food pantry, said she’s seen “more — many, many more” requests for food and other necessities this season than in years past. She pointed to threats to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, as one factor that has forced families to cut back.

“My numbers were going up and up,” Gagnon said. “I am finding more families want help with their children for Christmas.”

Throughout Maine, tighter budgets and imperiled assistance programs are forcing some families to triage needs this holiday season. Organizers at food banks and holiday donation drives say they are seeing heightened demand across the board, with requests pouring in from familiar faces and first-timers alike.

“The overwhelming theme this year is increase,” said Heather Tracy, inventory manager at Maine Needs, a nonprofit that collects and distributes items to vulnerable households throughout the state. “There seems to be an urgency, certainly this time of year — but this year, period.”

Tracy said Maine Needs is fielding requests for hundreds of items a day this holiday season, including bulk requests from places like elementary schools reporting an uptick in students arriving without mittens or snow pants. That’s “at least double” last year’s volume, she said.

“People are really insecure with the funds that they do have. It’s a really scary time to be relying on SNAP; it’s a really scary time to be relying on anyone, really,” she said. “And at the same time, it’s really beautiful to see the whole community rally together.”

Tracy said the group is doing its best to keep up, but demand seems to be outpacing what the community is able to provide in some cases.

Several agencies put up “giving trees” — some using other names, like “angel trees” — including the Maine Children’s Home, which solicits toys and winter gear for families in need. Its trees can be found at restaurants, hospitals and gyms.

Spokesperson Chelsea Ellis said the group has this year seen requests ratcheting up for winter boots and coats in particular. But there aren’t always enough to go around.

“We can’t always give all the families boots. We just prioritize the ones that emphasize a need for it,” she said.

On another Windham giving tree, this one inside Rustler’s Steak House, requests for outerwear dominated its branches. Owner Hayley Moon said she and her team were putting together gift packs for about 30-plus children: toys, clothing, gift cards for places like grocery stores.

“Unfortunately, the holidays are the hardest on families in need. It’s the biggest stressor,” Moon said. “Kids look forward to Christmas — but some kids don’t.”

As the lunch crowd filed in Wednesday afternoon, Moon met with donors who stopped by to drop off checks. Though she organizes the collection, Moon said she could not do so without robust support from neighbors and local businesses that offer time, money and manpower to move the gift packs.

“I could never do this alone,” Moon said.