Morgan Drake

As the Christmas decorations come down this year, don’t let that bring your Christmas spirit down too! Keeping yourself in a giving mood year round is important to helping those in need. Yes, people need a little extra during the holidays, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need help the rest of the year as well.

“People’s hearts are in a warm place during the holidays. We always say it’s wonderful to give during the holidays. But the people we help are still unemployed Jan. 2, they’re still earning minimum wage Jan. 2 and they’re still experiencing more outgo than income Jan. 2. They still are in need of assistance and we still are in need of donations,” states Joe Robinson, the executive director of the North Brevard Charities Sharing Center in Titusville.

There’s almost too much giving going on during the holiday season and little to no giving during the rest of the year. People will always need help. As Robinson stated, they’re in the same situation year round. It is so important that the holiday spirit of giving continues on throughout the rest of the winter and into spring and summer. Without donations year round, people don’t have what they need. Sure, they’ll have a great holiday season but when it comes to having enough food to last them in the next few cold winter months, they’ll have nothing.

“Our goods are always depleted after Christmas,” Robinson says. “Our supplies are much thinner, but the people keep coming. The holidays end. The need doesn’t.”

There’s many ways to continue to give back after the holiday season. Organizations such as The Red Cross and The Salvation Army accept donations year round. Food banks, big or small, always need donations to keep their stock up for those in need. If you don’t have things to give, you can always volunteer at a soup kitchen or Habitat for Humanity.