“A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.”

— Jack London

We hear it almost daily now. The plummeting economy, thousands losing their jobs, staggering unemployment lines.

As scary as it is to be caught in the middle of a recession, now is the most vital time to remember those less fortunate in our community. Don’t let fear get the best of you. Times are tight for everyone, but if we start hoarding our money and turning our backs on charitable causes because we’re worried about the future, times are going to get even tougher now — in the present.

Not everyone has the financial capability to donate to a worthy cause, but those who can spare a few extra dollars or an extra bag of groceries for the hungry, the need is here and now. Every little bit helps.

Last week’s Operation: Connect at the Kitsap Fairgrounds was yet another example of the need in Kitsap County. In just 24 hours, 150 families swallowed their pride and walked into the President’s Hall to receive items many of us wouldn’t give a second thought to, like warm clothing, blankets and hygiene items.

Unlike a major city, such as Seattle where homelessness is seen every day throughout the streets and alleys, the telling reminders of people who are struggling here in our neighborhoods to keep warm at night without a home to sleep in are tucked away. Or maybe they do have a home — one with no heat in which their children must go to bed with empty stomachs.

Poverty weighs on the shoulders of everyone, not just those spending the night at a shelter. From the person standing in line for a hot meal at the Salvation Army to the person in charge of a multi-million-dollar company, this is our community and we are in this together.