On Saturday, we kicked off our annual Santa’s Helper Fund, a fundraising effort in support of The Salvation Army. 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 funds collected through Santa’s Helper go directly 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 gas and heating 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 make a huge difference in the lives of children and families in this region. 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 help.

Donations may be sent to Santa’s Helper Fund, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329. Or you can donate through our Web site at the link bangornews.com/santa.html. Donors’ names and dollar amounts will be published in the Santa’s Helper column daily. Donors who prefer to remain anonymous will be listed as such, followed by donation amounts. Anyone with questions about the Santa’s Helper Fund may call The Salvation Army at 941-2990.

All funds 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.