Helping others this holiday is important, especially with the economic forcast. In my last entry, I wrote about the need to support the local economy by shopping in your home town. After I posted that entry, I realized that I neglected to mention the local food banks and non-profit organizations that face the overwhelming task of assisting those who face challenges this year. The fact is that there are more people in need this year than ever and our local support organizations face a daunting task.

I can remember last year, when things were starting to look a grim. One of our townspeople went in to drop off food at our local food bank, Faith in Action. she asked the volunteer on duty how the organization was managing as she dropped off her bag of food and was told the situation was dire. The pantry shelves were almost bare and what came in went out almost immediately. Thankfully, this woman was someone who decided to do something about the situation. She went home and sent an e-mail out to all her local friends. They in turn did likewise, and they made a point of dropping off food to the food bank. Nearly everyone in town heard about the situation within 24 hours and within 48 hours, the shelves were fully stocked once again.

Now this was last year. I can only imagine what will happen this year. It doesn't take much to make a difference. Buy an extra pound of spagetti, one more can of soup, maybe even a can of stew, and drop it off on your way home. If you hunt, find out if they accept frozen meat and share some of what you have. You don't have to do much, just a little here and there. That, with the little bit everyone else does, can make all the difference in the world to a family in need. It may make all the difference in the world to someone this holiday season.