Vital needs may go unmet without local donations

Before last week's column about the price of regular gasoline falling below a dollar per gallon appeared, the price went back up to more than a dollar. For all I know, by the time this is read the price may have gone down again: The curse of the early deadline strikes again.

However, this I know: When this Rusty Saber hits the streets, Thanksgiving will have come and gone. We have traveled over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house or some other place for our Thanksgiving Day feast. The Christmas season is under way.

This holiday season comes in the wake of the terrorist attack on America, which has changed our lives like nothing else since World War II. One major result affects people in our town and elsewhere.

Mere hours after the terrorist-induced tragedies, donations began to pour in to assist the victims. Those donations were indispensable: More than 5,000 families of victims suddenly were left in need of assistance. A total of $1.1 billion has been collected. The hearts of Ameri-cans were touched, leading to generous gifts. Truly a shining hour.

As it happens, there is a downside even to these fine gestures. Much of the giving to the disaster victims has come at the expense of organizations that serve others whose needs also are great. Giving to other than Sept. 11-related charities is down!

The sizable number of donor-financed national and local organizations facing cash shortages includes a vast array of those serving vital needs. The holiday season is a time of giving. We must continue to give money and goods to those organizations that meet the profound needs that existed long before the terrorist attacks.

Sometimes we Americans are accused of being self-absorbed and self-indulgent. The outpouring of support for the victims alone disproves this accusation; however, it's only the tip of the iceberg. American tax dollars provide massive assistance to needy people in Amer-ica and throughout the world.

For example, as our military personnel were planning bombing raids against the Taliban in Afghanistan, others were planning humanitarian food drops by C-17 cargo jets to starving Afghans. Taxpayer dollars fund a myriad of foreign and domestic programs to better the lives of countless people. Such an outlay of taxes for humanitarian purposes alone is enough to make any American proud.

Beyond government support, countless deserving organizations are supported by everyone from billionaire philanthropists to ordinary folks. If there is a worthy cause anywhere, there is an organization dedicated to serving it. Government grants may at times be received by groups, but mostly people like you Rusty Saber readers provide the dollars.

To respond to the needs of others is the American way.

Springfield, like other cities, is bustling with worthy nonprofit organizations. In the Spring-field-Branson Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages, 78 "social service" organizations are listed; all are supported by donations from the same citizens whose taxes support so many other good causes.

Be it the homeless and hungry; the physically or mentally ill; the abused and battered; men, women or children, they rely on the assistance of their fellow citizens.

And the Yellow Page listings mentioned above don't include the churches that have outreach programs to serve a vast number of people, nor does it include national charitable organizations that raise money by telephone and direct mail. Also, museums and arts groups need our support.

It may be contributions to help conquer disease, shelters and meals for homeless families, a place to turn to when there is no other place to turn, a museum that keeps alive our roots, or many other equally good causes, but we must an-swer the call and contribute.

Christmas is a religious holiday for many. For others, it is a secular event. Regardless of the tradition, we give gifts in the spirit of goodwill.

In that spirit, I urge all Rusty Saber readers to dig just a bit deeper to fill the coffers of those who work to make the world a little brighter. What a shame it would be if our generosity to groups serving victims of terrorism were to impair those who serve others.

(Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury Un-iversity.)