If you gave to the Poulsbo Lions/Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund in 2013, you made a big difference in someone’s life — possibly someone you know.

Winter is a tough time for a lot of people. As the temperature dips, heating costs go up. As the holidays near, many families face tough financial choices: Food, heat, or holidays. The choice is often simple: Skimp on one so you can pay for the other.

There are many signs the economy is getting better, but some of those signs are superficial. The unemployment rate in Kitsap County is 6.2 percent, compared to 4.5 percent in King County, 4.7 percent in San Juan County, and 4.8 percent in Snohomish County. While that’s slightly better than this time last year, and while we’re better off than Grays Harbor County (9.9 percent), that’s still 7,000 people in our county who are without work.

Another gauge of how the economy is doing: At North Kitsap Fishline, which provides emergency help and food to households in need, 700 households moved on to self-sufficiency. But they were replaced by 600 more. “People are getting jobs, but they’re not living-wage jobs,” executive director Mary Nader said. “Three-fourths of the jobs [available] are minimum-wage jobs.”

What helps people get out of a rough patch? Neighbors like you, and the Poulsbo Lions/Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund.

Since its inception in 1946, the Poulsbo Lions/Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund has helped provide food, emergency shelter and emergency financial assistance to North Kitsap residents in need. There is no overhead; every penny goes back into the community, according to John S. Macdonald, co-chairman of the fund.

In 2013, North Kitsap residents donated $32,431 to the fund. Of that, $5,815 ensured 100 local families were able to enjoy holiday meals at home. Another $26,000 was distributed to North Kitsap Fishline, ShareNet, and St. Vincent de Paul, to help 350-400 households pay rent, energy bills, and meet emergency needs.

Organizations like North Kitsap Fishline and St. Vincent de Paul Society are coming up with creative solutions to help people meet their basic needs. Fishline, for example, has a home share program, where it matches people who need a place to live with people who need help with their mortgage. It also connects clients looking for work with companies and job service providers. But to meet immediate needs, like food and shelter, Fishline and the others make good use of the money donated to the Poulsbo Lions/Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund.

Fishline and St. Vincent de Paul are a critical part of the safety net in North Kitsap. They are there for you and your family — and your fellow community members — when needed. Contribute to the Poulsbo Lions/Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund and keep the safety net strong. (Consider it a holiday gift to yourself — you make a difference in the community, and you get a tax deduction).

Donations to the Poulsbo Lions/Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund can be mailed to P.O. Box 1244, Poulsbo, WA 98370. Donations to the fund are also accepted at the North Kitsap Herald, 19351 8th Ave. NE, Poulsbo; and at Union Bank, 19950 7th Ave. NE, Poulsbo. Donors’ names are published each week in the Herald.