Tough year: Community will be digging deep this holiday season

The first week of November always brings the same calls for local residents who have had decent years themselves to reach into their pockets and help those whose luck has not been so good.

And this year, the problem is, there are more of the latter than the former.

Charitable organizations have already been finding it tough to meet their fundraising goals, and the reason why has nothing to do with this community's generosity or its priorities.

There are just too many people who are struggling now who have never struggled before.

This year, there will be people in line for aid who were the ones donating just a year ago. For many of them, it will be tough to admit they need help.

And those are the people we should all want to help -- if we can.

There is no question that there are plenty of people who live off the generosity of others. They are the ones who know just where to go to take advantage of as much of the community's aid as possible.

It is that other group -- those who are struggling because they have lost their job, have been hit hard by medical bills or who have experienced some other kind of loss -- who should get our attention this year.

With money so tight for everyone, generosity is going to be tempered. People are going to be thinking more about where best to donate.

So when we do decide to help others, we will all be looking to give where our money is appreciated and not expected.

It will be tougher, for sure, but there is no doubt, Wayne County will take care of its own -- just as it has for decades before.

Published in Editorials on November 1, 2010 10:42 AM