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Big hearts and open wallets during holidays
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It was an image to touch even the most cynical among us. People waited in line for up to five hours Tuesday morning outside of the Paz de Cristo outreach center in west Mesa, just so they wouldn't miss out on a free Thanksgiving turkey to share with their family and friends. In an eerie echo of the bread lines of the Depression era, this mass appearance for a donated holiday meal was a sharp reminder of just how difficult 2009 has been for so many.
The Tribune has been reporting all year on the challenges for charities such as Paz de Cristo. Cries for help have spiked from those struggling to afford basic necessities, while contributions have dropped as other families cut back on their own generosity to avoid a similar fate.
"We're up above 40 percent as far as demand, and we're down over 35 percent as far as money," Bill Berry, director of programs for the Resurrection Street Ministry/Manna Food Bank, recently told Tribune writer Edward Gately.
Those challenges become palpable during the holiday season as we repeatedly hear messages of good will that clash with the cultural pressure to buy more and more gifts to prove our love for others.
Fortunately, humankind's better nature has not disappeared amid the economic stress. Paz de Cristo was able to answer Tuesday's call because of a big-hearted anonymous donor who provided enough assistance that additional turkeys will be handed out just before Christmas, Tribune writer Andre Bowser reported. And last week, Mesa city employees organized an emergency turkey donation drive for other East Valley food banks that feared they would fall far short as the number of people seeking a holiday repast reached its peak.
We've noted before that no one can be faulted for making the survival and comfort of their own loved ones their first priority. But as we look ahead to the season of giving over the next few weeks, we hope you will consider offering a little more to aid those who have fallen on the hardest of times.
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