Worthy of support: There are groups that are really doing job of helping people

It is easy to get skittish about giving money to charitable organizations.

During times like these when every dollar counts, you want to make sure that the money goes to the right place, to a group that maximizes its effect by trying to help as many people as possible.

You don't want to read about fancy offices, high-paid executives or lucrative contracts to fancy consultants.

It would be better to hand a needy person a check directly than to wonder how much of the money you are going to be giving will go for what you intended.

Wayne County is lucky. There are many places where tireless volunteers and shoestring staffs work hard to take care of their neighbors. And, right now, there are plenty of organizations struggling to find enough support to help all the Wayne County residents who are trying to make it in this rough economy.

Let's face it -- there are people looking for assistance now who never thought they would. They have nowhere to turn and no one to rely on. And in some cases, they are the ones who were giving just a couple of years ago. That is why it is so important that those who can give, do.

The Wayne County chapter of the American Red Cross is just one of many places where putting your money makes a difference for hundreds of county residents.

As we all struggle to keep our own houses afloat, we need to remember those who have been hit particularly hard. Organizations like the Red Cross can help us do just that.

Published in Editorials on August 11, 2011 10:53 AM