A HELPING HAND: AREA RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS OFFER CHARITY TO THOSE IN NEED

Salvation Army Maj. Robert Gauthier has made a career out of kindness. Helping the less fortunate is major mission for Gauthier and the Salvation Army.

Gauthier isn't alone. The area is full of benevolent people this time of year, with people donating everything from food to clothing to help those in need.

Despite all the talk about the good economic times, Gauthier said there are plenty of people in need.

The Salvation Army helps provide the needy with basic necessities like food, clothing and housing. It even helps pay utility bills.

Two years ago, the Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau handled 15,000 cases of people needing assistance."Our numbers seem to be up from previous years," he said.

Some of those in need are transients. "We are seeing more and more families traveling through than in the past."Said Gauthier, "We see a lot of individuals just struggling to make ends meet."As in past years, the Salvation Army is again collecting coats. It plans to distribute about 1,000 used coats to residents in Southeast Missouri and southern Illinois this year.

The Salvation Army operates on an annual budget of about half a million dollars. About half of that comes from the Salvation Army's Tree of Lights campaign during the Christmas season.

This year's fund-raising goal for the Tree of Lights campaign is $220,000, up slightly from last year.

Gauthier said about 100 people volunteer their time to assist the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army's red kettles are a common sight during the holiday season. This year the Salvation Army is collecting money in kettles at 12 sites.

Bell ringers have been collecting donations since Nov. 12. But Gauthier said donations have been down slightly."We are down about $3,000," he said. "The weather is part of it." Gauthier said people typically give less in warmer weather.

Gauthier said it's tough to get people to man the kettles. Service clubs used to help out. But times have changed. "Everybody is so busy," he said.

The Salvation Army isn't alone in doing good deeds. Area churches also help out."We do have churches that support us directly with monthly contributions or quarterly contributions," he said."People in Cape Girardeau really have a compassionate heart," said Gauthier.

Regardless of the economic times, there will always be people in need, he said.

Donating food and money are two ways people help groups like the Salvation Army this time of year.

But Gauthier said just visiting nursing home residents is a valuable act of kindness.

Salvation Army volunteers visit area nursing homes during the holiday season, providing small Christmas gifts to the residents."We probably have 20 to 25 people visit the nursing homes," he said. "It is not a real difficult thing we do, but maybe it is one of the most significant things we do."Gauthier views charitable efforts in a Biblical sense as a mission from God. In Matthew 25:40, it states, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."FISH Volunteers of Cape Girardeau is another group that originated from a Christian background.

Unlike the Salvation Army, FISH Volunteers of Cape Girardeau doesn't have a big budget. The group has no paid staff. But like the Salvation Army, it's committed to serving the needy.

Its 80 volunteers operate a food pantry year round.

Volunteers take turns manning the pantry Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon.

The food pantry was established about 20 years ago by area churches. It operated for years from the basement of Maple Avenue United Methodist Church.

Several years ago, the operation was moved to a building at 106 S. Sprigg.

The pantry goes through about 40,000 or 50,000 pounds a year of food, most of it canned goods and dry food packages such as cereal and macaroni and cheese.

The pantry does provide some refrigerated food such as ground beef, cheese and butter spread.

Most of the food is donated, with the largest share occurring during the holiday season."It just comes from everywhere," said Gil Degenhardt, a volunteer who serves on the FISH board of directors.

Civic organizations, business groups and individuals donate to the cause. Churches routinely hold food drives for FISH or provide some funding.

The food pantry aids about 150 families a month. FISH helps different families each month. A family can receive food up to four times a year.

Degenhardt said FISH doesn't do background checks on those it serves. "We simply hear their story."There is no shortage of calls to FISH for food.

Degenhardt said government programs have "taken people off the doorsteps," but they haven't replaced the need for charity and caring volunteers.

Like other charitable groups, Degenhardt said there is always a need for more volunteers.