It’s the holiday season — the season of giving, and of being asked to give.

Why is it that there are so many requests for help this time of year? It’s not just because of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s because it’s cold. More people in our community — perhaps people you know — have to stretch that dollar farther. Suddenly, cupboards are a little more bare, clothing a little more inadequate. Needs once put off now become critical.

Consider a gift, no matter the size, to the Poulsbo Lions Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund. Here’s what your dollar accomplishes:

One, every dollar is administered by Fishline, St. Vincent de Paul and ShareNet to provide food, emergency shelter and emergency financial assistance to North Kitsap residents in need. There is no overhead. Every penny helps neighbors put food on tables, keep the lights and heat on, keep a roof over their heads, and get to medical appointments and work. Annually, the fund helps more than 300 local households.

Two, your gift is tax deductible, because the Raab Foundation is a registered non-profit. (Consider your gift a holiday gift to yourself — you make a difference in the community, and you get a tax deduction).

Three, by giving to the fund, you are part of a local tradition dating back to 1946. That’s when the fund was started by Frank and Mabel Raab as a way for local residents to help each other through the year.

We are always touched by the generosity of donors to the Poulsbo Lions Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund (we’ve already received a $500 check). Even during lean recessionary times, people took stock of all that they had been blessed with and gave — as a gift in honor or memory of someone else, or as a gift to the community.

Some give $5, some give more. But the donations add up — thousands of dollars, every year, that change lives.

“We’re able to stretch what we’re doing for people in crisis — whether it’s paying rent, mortgage, or utilities,” Rae Rodriguez, Fishline’s client services manager, said in an earlier interview.

Contribute to the Poulsbo Lions Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund and keep the community safety net strong. Donations can be delivered to the North Kitsap Herald, 19351 8th Ave., Suite 106, Poulsbo, or mailed to P.O. Box 1244, Poulsbo, WA. 98370. Donors’ names will be published each week in the Herald.