On Saturday, we kicked off our annual Santa’s Helper Fund, a fundraising effort in support of the Salvation Army. $3,306 has already been received thanks to two earlier contributors.

Located here in Bangor, the Salvation Army provides much needed assistance in the form of food, clothing and toys for children to a wide region of Maine. All monies collected through the Santa’s Helper go directly back to the areas where the donations have come from in the form of support and comfort during the holiday season.

This holiday season is expected to be especially hard for many families in our neighborhoods and across the region served by the Salvation Army. Because of the high cost of fuel oil, and other circumstances beyond their control, many families will face extreme hardship this winter and a Christmas holiday may be out of the picture without the generous help of others.

Your contribution to the Santa’s Helper Fund, no matter how large or small, will definitely make a huge difference in the lives of children and families in this region. Please consider adding to your Christmas list a donation to this important fundraising effort. You may never know the impact your gift makes, but you can rest assured it does.

Donations may be sent to Santa’s Helper Fund, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329. Donors’ names and dollar 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. Anyone with questions about the Santa’s Helper Fund may call the Salvation Army at 941-2990.

All monies are deposited in a special account and a check for the full amount collected will be presented to the Salvation Army. This service means that the Salvation Army can concentrate on the important business of processing applications and preparing Christmas boxes for needy families.