Every little bit helps

The needs are great and the money is tight.

That is the outlook for the Triangle's charitable organizations as we head into the holiday season.

Jill Staton Bullard, head of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, says the agencies that Interfaith helps -- 212 across seven counties -- are reporting a 40 percent to 60 percent increase in requests for help this year. She expects that need to increase as the weather gets cold er and people must choose between heat and food.

For Bullard, there is no better evidence of the increased need than to look at the children. Last fall, 81,000 children in seven Triangle counties qualified for the federal reduced lunch program, she says. This fall, 91,000 children qualified.

"Ten thousand more children in 12 months' time," she says. "They didn't change the guidelines ... that many more people have been brought to the edge, and it's our job -- and I don't mean the food shuttle here -- but our job as a community to make sure they don't fall over that edge."

Inter-Faith is just one organization among many that need help. Each day, it seems that another request for food or money to feed the hungry or shelter the homeless arrives in the mailbox. Add to those the annual appeals from the SPCA, the Red Cross, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Association and UNICEF, and the requests can overwhelm.

If your own circumstances have changed for the worse this year, the idea of helping may seem especially daunting. You may not be able to meet your past goals, but there are plenty of ways you can help. Here are a baker's dozen ideas to get you started.

1

Organize a food drive. If your neighborhood has a fall festival, ask everyone to bring a can of food or a bag of rice. Put a list of charities in a hat and pull out one to donate to.

2 Many restaurants now tempt with $5 lunch meals. Pack your lunch just twice each week and give the $10 to Inter-Faith's "BackPack Buddies" program. The agency can fill a backpack with six meals and two healthy snacks for one child for $9.10.

3 Skip a $25 dinner out once a month and give the money to Catholic Parish Outreach to feed a family of four for a week.

4 Clean up and clear out. If your kids have outgrown their coats or if your linen closet is stuffed with blankets you don't need, pack the gently used ones up for the Raleigh Rescue Mission. When the shelter runs out of room, those who sleep on the streets welcome a warm blanket, says Lynn Daniell, the mission's director.

5 Bullard says some people have told her they fast for a day and then donate the money they didn't spend. If you're healthy, this shouldn't hurt you. An alternative would be to give up a special treat -- the daily ice cream cone or doughnut -- and donate the money you would have spent.

6 Try a version of the state's sin tax. But rather than paying extra for your vices -- wine, beer, cigarettes -- avoid them for a month and donate your savings. Arrive at the correct figure by averaging three months of purchases.

7 Get your co-workers involved. The News & Observer's copy editors have a long tradition of a holiday potluck. Everyone brings in a dish and then pays to eat -- the amount is whatever you would have paid for dinner that night or whatever you're comfortable giving. Each year, the dinner raises several hundred dollars, and the money goes to buy food and gifts for a family or two.

8 If you can't spare any cash, stock shelves, bag groceries, deliver food. This spring, Inter-Faith asked everyone to plant a row for the hungry. Don't forget your fall crops. You can also work on Inter-Faith's community farm off Tryon Road or take part in a community cooking class where families are taught how to cook nutritious meals.

9 Donate items you don't use or need any more: a car, furniture, musical instruments. Check with the charity before you haul a boat to the front door, but many can turn those items into cash.

10 Look for grocery store tie-ins. For instance, tie your Food Lion loyalty card to Catholic Parish Outreach or the Food Bank, and the agency gets a donation from Food Lion that is tied to the amount of groceries you purchase. Sign up at www .foodlion .com under the "Community Connections -- Lion Shop and Share" link.

11 Book your flights, rental cars and hotel stays through the Raleigh Rescue Mission's travel site, and the mission gets a cut. You can even order flowers through the service. Check it out at www .raleighrescue.org/donate/ travel- raleigh-rescue . Likewise, the Food Bank can earn a penny every time you search or shop online if you use certain Web sites. GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the Food Bank. GoodShop.com is an online shopping mall that donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to the Food Bank.

12 Don't forget the boss. Many companies will match your gift of either money or time. Check with your employer's personneldepartment.

13 Have gift cards you're not using? Donate them -- even if they're not at businesses that sell food. Many local charities need personal hygiene items, clothes and even books. Donate the cards, and they can buy what they and their clients need.