Utah County residents showed great charity during the holiday season.

Hundreds of volunteers helped out with United Way of Utah County, whose Sub for Santa Program allowed 1,632 families to have a merrier Christmas than they would have had otherwise, while giving 845 people assistance through the Angel Tree project.

Unfortunately, local food banks didn't fare as well this season. Community Action Services food bank in Provo remains 100,000 pounds behind in its goal for the December food drive. Myla Dutton, Community Action director, said if the shortfall is not made up, and some families may go hungry later this year.

The Utah Food Bank reported that it was 900,000 pounds short of its goal of 2 million pounds of food for the year.

There is hope that the difference can be made up by the middle of the month (the holiday food drive goes through Jan. 15), because schools are expected to conclude their food drives.

The food shortage is a reminder that charity isn't something we should only practice during the holidays. There is something about the season that seems to make people more generous. Maybe it's a sense of gratitude for a good year or the thought of someone doing without during cold, dark winter months. Whatever the reason, people's hearts tend to open.

But, too often, it seems that people put their good intentions and charitable behavior away with the Christmas ornaments, not to be taken out until next November. In their minds, poor people don't need help during the spring, summer and fall. Worse, some think they don't deserve it, even little children or the mothers who nurture them.

Poverty doesn't take time off, nor is it glibly solved. The poor have to cope with finding food, clothing and shelter year-round, not just during the holidays.

While the newspaper articles about desperate families conclude after the holidays, similar stories are being written every day in the lives of human beings in our community. They are still around, still needing a helping hand.

Without your assistance, the food banks may run out of supplies by mid-summer. And hunger in July feels no different than hunger in December.

So, if you haven't come up with any New Year's resolutions yet (or at least ones that you actually intend to keep), allow us to suggest one: Make regular donations to the food bank throughout the year. It doesn't have to be a lot -- perhaps just an extra bag of groceries a month.

Ebenezer Scrooge, in Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol," vowed that he would keep the charitable spirit not just during Christmas but throughout the year. We all should do likewise.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A5.

Do you agree?