Charities such as Santa’s Helper Fund remind us the world is full of caring people. Although it seems the negative news outweighs the positive these days, the gathering of friends and neighbors in our communities to share with those less fortunate is proof positive that the good continues with great strength to overcome the bad.

Here are excerpts from a letter recently received by The Salvation Army:

“I am asking for help because I have two young kids, a boy, 9 and a girl, 5. We are a low-income family and only live on one income, my husband’s. And times are hard again this year. I have been in and out of the hospital since 2000. The first operation was in October 2000 and the second was February 2001. And in September of this year, they found another lump in my neck on the left side. I have good days and bad. But I keep on praying and [God] finds me strength to go on and I am trying to hide the pain from my kids and get on with life. They are also my strength and energy, but the thought of how to give them a Christmas is always on my mind. Last year the look on their faces when they got up on Christmas morning and saw what was there (thanks to The Salvation Army) … I had to turn and cry and say thank you all for a wonderful memory. Well, closing now but once more thanks a lot for what you do, it is greatly appreciated.”

Whether people’s needs are limited to a single year, or they need help year after year, The Salvation Army counts on the Santa’s Helper Fund to assist those who have no other way to make the holidays special for their families.

The Santa’s Helper Fund provides an easy way for people to make a holiday contribution. A postage stamp is all that’s needed to assure that 100 percent of your donation will be used to help a less fortunate neighbor. The Bangor Daily News provides the staff to administer the fund, so no expenses are incurred. That means your entire donation does the work you intended it to do.

So please, if you can find a few dollars in your budget that you can spare to help someone less fortunate, consider sending it to the Santa’s Helper Fund. In typical Maine tradition, we try to be there for our neighbors in their times of need. The need is great and The Salvation Army counts on each of us to help meet it.

Donations may be sent to Santa’s Helper Fund, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329. Your names and donation amounts will be published in the Santa’s Helper column daily. Donors who wish to remain anonymous will be listed as such, followed by their donation amounts. Thank you in advance for your generosity.