Year-Round Giving is Vital

It seems as though every year, the holiday season catches us off-guard. We are swept up by the proverbial broom of good-nature. People come together and donate toys, food, clothing, shelter, just about anything that will help someone less fortunate. It is truly amazing that amidst the hubbub and bustle of the holiday season, people have so much room in their hearts for others. Christmas, Hanukkah and the other holidays that culminate the winter months are a beacon of light, proclaiming that humanity still cares about its broken, its downtrodden, and its needy.

It's a shame that the holiday season is just a couple months.

Come January, and February, into March, April and May, society resumes its business, perhaps still feeling a lingering sense of good-cheer-leftovers from the holidays. Unfortunately for many, the woes of hard times don't just fade away after December. Food still needs to be put on the table. Electric bills don't dissipate with the cold winter air. Kids need clothes to protect them from the cold. Indeed, the months following the holidays can be the most difficult for struggling families. After receiving Christmas warmth from so many, the chilling reality of being forgotten sets in like hypothermia.

This Christmas, Epic Ministries, a local non-profit organization in the City of Ventura, gave away over 1,000 toys to struggling families. But it was not so much about the toys as it was about reminding people that December 26th is just as important as December 25th. Ventura County has hundreds of organizations that help struggling families year-round. The effects of holiday-amnesia fall hard on these organizations as well. We wanted to create a web site that encouraged people to continue their giving and provide a list of non-profit organizations to which people can donate their time, talents, and money. We hope than in this way, the less fortunate can witness the goodness of humanity when the need it most, not simply during a two month holiday season.