By now, we are almost seven years into what historians will probably end up calling the Great Recession, the historic contraction of the global economy that rivals anything else on record.
Although nationally, signs point to a recovery of some type these days, how robust it is largely depends on the political point of view of the person you are talking to.
Based on our observations, we believe things are better than they were just a couple years ago, but the needs are still great; greater than ever in fact.
As any food pantry volunteer will tell you, the numbers of those needing help are always increasing.
It is not just food pantries. The acclaimed Family Holiday Wishes program is enduring one of its hardest seasons yet as donations and volunteers both appear to be in short supply this year.
We don’t have a solution other than to remind everyone this is the giving season. A spare dollar in the Salvation Army bucket, or an extra item in the shopping cart for a food pantry, even lending a hand for a couple hours will help someone somewhere.
As we have said before, we can’t rely on someone else solving our problems; we need to take care of ourselves. One of the ways we can do that, as a community, is remember others as we embrace the spirit of this holiday season.
