EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso County General Assistance provides El Pasoans with money to pay for rent or a mortgage, or for utilities such as water, electricity and gas.

They have helped people in situations such as when you lose your job or a when family member who pays the bills dies.

Over the last year, 65 percent of the people who came to general assistance asking for help are first timers.

The manager of general assistance, Michael Flores, said the percentage is mind boggling, and a clear sign of the economic recession.

Flores said most of the time his office is helping some of the poorest in El Paso County, but lately the income levels have been trending upward with more and more middle class and even upper class El Pasoans needing help because they've suddenly lost their source of income.

The general assistance office said last August, they paid out $65,000 in assistance -- this August that number jumped to $96,000.

"Areas that never had thought, I see the ZIP codes, the 79912s, the 79938s in the hills in far east, clients that live in the Paseos in Far East El Paso in the nice homes, they lose their jobs," said Flores.