saitaina | The season to give?

In this season of giving, the charity drives are strong. They are on every street corner, every storefront. They are on the television and radio, urging you to give, give, give.

And many do. But I sit here, watching the giving of good will and gift and wonder why just in this season must people give.

I am one of the many in Douglas County who are the "needy". I'm not one of those that receive the food boxes or the gifts. I leave those to the ones who need them much more then I do. But I do receive aid, I would have to or else I couldn't survive. I'm one of the many in this county who can't afford to buy medicine, or food, or even pay my rent without help. And these aren't seasonal needs, these are the same needs you and your family have, year round.

But it's only in this time that people will open their wallets to give out, and it hurts. I really, can't understand why it takes a fat man on a sleigh to get people to care about the person standing on the street corner, or the woman in a fading grey coat whose struggling to come up with a few bucks to buy milk.

Maybe you do it for the children, but compared to an expensive turkey diner or sandwich meat that can last for a month...which should you really choose?

If you really, truly want to help those of us who need it, save the pennies and the turkeys. Dig out those cans of corn, beets and the odd soup you'll never get around to eating. Get those old coats from the back of the closet that you detest and will never wear. We still need them.

So please, just remember, even in the dead of summer, we're still hungry, we still need a helping hand.