Far too many Chautauqua County residents are at risk of falling through the cracks — news releases from the St. Susan Center and Meals on Wheels of the Jamestown Area are proof of that.

St. Susan Center has seen a continual increase in the number of people it serves over the past few years, which means the non-profit has needed to increase its budget and its fundraising efforts to keep pace. Meals on Wheels has been in the same boat. In April, lack of funding for Meals on Wheels America forced the Jamestown branch to create a waiting list for their services that lasted for a few weeks. Demand outweighed funding for a while in 2018, but Barrie Yochim, Meals on Wheels of the Jamestown Area executive director, told The Post-Journal that the holiday donation season in the past couple months and a federal increase for the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program, which includes Meals on Wheels, has placed the organization on solid footing as 2019 begins.

Both St. Susan’s and Meals on Wheels have been creative with fundraising over the past couple of years, whether it be creating events or partnering with local businesses like Shults Auto Group in money-making endeavors. Make no mistake, though, that the best way for organizations like the St. Susan Center, the Salvation Army, Community Helping Hands and Meals on Wheels to help the increasing number of people who are struggling to make ends meet is through the generosity of all area residents.

The holiday season is over, but the time of need for many in our midst continues.