It's time to help

The holiday spirit appears to be off to an early start. Parking lots at retail stores and shopping centers were over the weekend. Several shoppers said they wanted to wrap up their Christmas buying early this year.

While thousands of shoppers open their pocketbooks and hand over their credit cards for holiday purchases, another seasonal need also could benefit from our checkbooks and our compassion for others. Various organizations have special projects in full swing to help the needy. This is the time of year when we can all make a difference.

Organizations that provide food and other assistance say they are low on provisions and cash. FISH, a busy food pantry, says its shelves are nearly bare. And it is getting more and more requests for financial help with things like utility bills.

The Scouting for Food program will be a big help in the effort to get food for the hungry. Scouts hung bags on doorknobs last Saturday all over the Shawnee District, which includes Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger counties as well as Scott City, Chaffee and Advance in Scott County. Area residents are asked to fill the bags with canned goods and put them back on their doorknobs next Saturday, when Scouts will pick them up.

The Salvation Army's special holiday fund-raising activities are in full swing. Last year, the Salvation Army assisted more than 1,200 families, and officials say requests for help are up 25 percent.

Among the activities that help needy families and individuals at Christmas are the Toybox and Christmas basket programs. The Salvation Army already is accepting applications both programs. Toybox is jointly sponsored by the Southeast Missourian and the Cape Girardeau Jaycees. It provides toys and other gifts to needy children.

There are lots of way to participate in the holiday drives that help the less fortunate of our community.

Make sure your Scouting for Food bag is full of canned goods next Saturday.

Donate canned items or cash to FISH, 106 S. Sprigg.

Make a donation to the Salvation Army, which will have volunteers ringing bells at the familiar red kettles at 14 locations. Several restaurants will have small Salvation Army kettles as well for customers.

Take food items to the Gibson Recovery Center food pantry, 1112 Linden, another beneficiary of the Scouting for Food program.

If your church has a special outreach for the needy, please get involved.

If you can help in any way, large or small, to make life better for our friends and neighbors in need, now is a good time to do it.

Please help. Please make a difference.