December is intended to be a month of celebrating and – aside from the stress of finding a gift for every family member — full of cheer. But for thousands of Kitsap residents, the ringing of the bells is only a reminder of tough times ahead. If you truly want to get into the spirit of the month, the best way to do it is by giving — not to those who have everything but to those who have little. Whether you invite a senior widow to your family’s dinner, or adopt a struggling family and shower it with cookies and gifts, rest assured whatever kindness you send around, some day it will come back.

If you don’t know anyone who could really use a visit from Santa’s elves, you can call the local food banks and other charities for a list of their needs.

Some of these groups are listed below, but there are dozens of others that will greet your support with open hands.

South Kitsap Helpline serves Port Orchard area individuals and families, with 1,500 families served during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Their top wanted items include meal ingredients like stuffing; canned beans, corn, cranberry, and olives; fruit cocktail and boxed Jello; as well as fresh produce including onions, apples, potatoes, celery, carrots etc.

“The more donations we get, the nicer our baskets can be. We need all the help we can get,” said Director Jennifer Hardison. Drop off donations between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 1351 Bay Street in Port Orchard. Call 360-876-4089.

The Salvation Army in Bremerton receives 30 percent of its annual budget from the kettles placed at stores in December — so every bit of spare change or dollar bills you give the bell ringers helps keep the services all year long.

“Christmas is our big fund-raiser. If we don’t raise enough at Christmas, we are hurting the whole year,” said Maj. Jim Baker. You can also help by donating any food item you find appropriate for a holiday table, including large turkeys (above 10 pounds), stuffing, pies and more. If you prefer to buy presents — the main shortage is for presents for kids 11 and older. Drop off donations Monday-Friday, 8-4, at 832 Sixth Street, before Dec. 17. Call 360-479-2695.

Central Kitsap Food Bank serves the Central Kitsap School District area, with up to 400 families served during this holiday season. Wanted: cash donations that will help pay for the turkeys, and any food items for the table, especially canned vegetables, fruit cocktail and celery. Drop off items Monday-Friday, 9-2, at 3790 NW Anderson Hill Road in Silverdale, or mail money donations to PO Box 748, Silverdale 98383. Call 360-692-9818.

Kitsap Sexual Assault Center, which provides crisis intervention, advocacy and therapy for all Kitsap-area families in need, tries to make sure none of the families it serves goes without a nice holiday. Gift certificates in any denominations are especially welcome, specifically for department stores and shoe stores. They are also seeking new coats for children. Call 360-479-1788 or mail your cash donations to PO Box 1936, Port Orchard 98366.

The Bremerton Foodline needs Christmas dinner items, including any non-perishables, dairy and produce; along with personal hygiene items such as soaps and shampoos, tooth paste etc. Frozen and fresh produce and toys are welcome. Drop off items Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or call for an after-hours appointment, at 1600 12th Street in Bremerton, by Dec. 18.

The need continues through the year — and the organization encourages those who can’t afford to donate money to volunteer instead. The gift of time is just as valuable, and there is always the need for more people to assist with the food orders, receive and stock products, or train to conduct in-take interviews. Call 360-479-6188.

United Way of Kitsap is a centralized agency that distributes funds to various local charities that provide human services and health needs, including all county food banks and shelters. This year, its gifts-in-kind program has been expanded to provide much-needed personal hygiene items to those organizations. Donations can be made through any participating employer, or online at www.unitedway-wa.org/kitsap. Call 360-377-8505 for more details.

Helpline House on Bainbridge Island provides holiday Santa “stores” for free “shopping” for their families at no cost. Project “Happy Holidays” this year especially needs items for teens, toys for younger kids, cash donations and gift certificates for $25 and up for department stores, clothing and entertainment stores and even services. Call 206-842-7621 for details or stop by Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 282 Knechtel Way.