Wichita Holiday program provides one-time help to people in need

This is the year that has given our chain a good hard yank. We’ve learned a whole lot about ourselves and others.

Since March we’ve seen more people needing help than we ever thought possible. Solicitation letters, sometimes five in one day arrive in the mail. And what is so frustrating is they are all good causes.

The holiday season is always a time when most people show their more generous side, even if they’re somewhat generous the rest of the year. It’s a great time to share.

For 21 years staff members at The Wichita Community Foundation, The Salvation Army and The Wichita Eagle have joined forces for the Share the Season program.

With donations from the community those who are dealing with unforeseen circumstances are helped with financial struggles.

Perhaps you’ve read the stories in the paper about the people who have been helped. People are unable to pay their bills due to their hours at work being cut back, or they were laid off.

Others are dealing with paying for child care because some kids aren’t in school. And let’s not forget, even if we want to, COVID19 is keeping people at home quarantined or very ill in the hospital.

With so many closings and reduced hours in all types of businesses, it’s no surprise there are far more applications for help than this time last year.

There are several aspects of Share the Season that hit home with me every year.

Residents of Wichita and surrounding towns are a generous lot. In the past 20 years they’ve given Share the Season 3.8 million bucks and helped 3,700 families.

It is a one-time assistance that is greatly appreciated. So much so, many time people who have been helped in the past contribute as soon as they can.

Not one dollar of the donations goes to administrative costs or anything except helping those in need.

And to be sure the person receiving assistance uses the money for the intended purpose, the check is made out to the vendor that is owed money, not the applicant.

When I talked to Joselyne Hernandez at Wichita Community Foundation she said some people have said, especially on social media, that Share the Season surely isn’t real. It’s too good to be true. Well, folks, it is true. And those of us who have worked on it annually for two decades will guarantee it.

She also told me donations of have reached the nearly $163,000 mark. Now we’re talking!

I’m writing this on Wednesday so I hope the amount has grown a lot by the time you’re reading this.

If you want to apply for financial aid, you need to do so by Jan. 17 at noon. Go to sharetheseason.org or The Salvation Army at 350 N. Market.

If you want to donate, you can do so at sharetheseason.org or send a check to The Wichita Community Foundation at 301 N. Main, Suite100, the zip is 67202.

Last year $202,000 was raised from more than 700 donors. Let’s beat that number this year. We’ve lived through a lot these past months and since we’re all in this together, we’ve been good about helping each other. If you need help, for Pete’s sake ask for it. If you’re lucky enough to be able to help, please do so. Today.

If you want your donation to be anonymous, you should contact the Wichita Community Foundation because a list of all the donors will be in The Wichita Eagle on New Year’s Day.

Oh, and Santa is keeping the list too.