I feel incredibly fortunate.  My family is healthy and happy.  I have a great job.  A comfortable home.  And a little bit of a cushion should disaster strike.

But many aren’t so lucky.

Thankfully my circumstances are such that I’ve never needed to reach out for assistance.   But I’ve had lots of exposure to the enormous need as a result of serving on non-profit boards and through volunteer work.  To see a grown man or woman in need weep because they have no choice but to ask for help….to see staffers weep in frustration because there just isn’t enough to go around….is a humbling and eye opening experience.

I grew up with little.  In the way of material things.  But in many ways (especially as I look back now) I grew up very rich.  In a home with strong values, where three simple rules were drilled into my head:  1)  work hard 2) be a good person and 3) give back.  I remember many hours in my childhood sewing blankets at church, delivering food baskets to families in need and raking leaves for elderly neighbors.  My family didn’t have a lot of money to donate to worthwhile causes, but we always seemed to find ways to give.  To share what we had and to give of our time. Sure I grumbled back then because I wanted to play with friends instead.  But my Mom made it clear in no uncertain terms, that this is what you do.  You help out where you can.  So I did.  And today I can’t thank my parents enough for the values they taught me.

Today I’m even more aware of the need to help out where I can.  There are so many people struggling in our communities today.  And the last year has taken a massive toll.  Charitable giving fell in 2008 by the largest percentage in five decades, according to a study by the Giving USA Foundation. The decline was the first since 1987 and only the second time there has been a drop since Giving USA began publishing its annual reports in 1956.  More people are out of work, they struggle from week to week and they have less to share.

But while giving is down, need is way up.

Nearly two-thirds of public charities receiving donations saw decreases in 2008.

• 54 percent of human services charities saw an increase in need for their services
• 60 percent of human services organizations were cutting expenses, including cutting services or staff, due to funding shortages;
• Among organizations working to meet people’s basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, etc.), more than half (53 percent) said they are underfunded or severely underfunded for 2009.

Individual giving dropped 6 percent and corporate giving dropped almost 9 percent. Some experts said they were surprised the drop was not even bigger, given that endowments fell by as much as 40 percent, the stock market declined by a similar margin, corporations posted unheard-of losses and unemployment was rising at a fast clip.

In the fall many organizations start their fund drives.  Locally our United Way kickoff just took place last week with hundreds of people lining the pedestrian bridge in Omaha (in the pouring rain) to be a visible reminder of the real need to Live United.  And this year, more than ever, we all need to do what we can to help financially so that services in our community can help those in need.

Please help out.  Every single dollar makes a difference.

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