Apr. 3--Things are tough all over, as the saying goes, but our current economic climate may be roughest on those groups that do charitable work and depend on the generosity of others to do it.

To paraphrase another old saying, when the going gets tough, wallets can snap shut quicker than a Venus fly trap.

On consecutive days this week, The Fort Morgan Times has written stories about two such groups. Both are actively seeking financial support from the community, at a time when nearly everyone is worrying about their own financial condition.

Caring Ministries, marking it 25th year of offering a variety of support services for low-income and needy residents, is kicking off a fundraising drive called the 25X25X25 Challenge.

Caring Ministries hopes to influence 25 church members from each of 25 area churches to contribute $25 each. These one-time donations would be used primarily to benefit homeless people affected by the recession, according to officials.

Despite the woeful economic conditions, Caring Ministries probably stands a pretty good chance of reaching its goal. By asking for a specific -- and relatively small -- amount of money from each donor, the charity group is trying to make it easy and painless for people to take part.

Nickels and dimes add up to dollars, though, and if Caring Ministries reaches its goal, it will generate more than $15,000.

We can only hope that Caring Ministries does not see a corresponding drop -- or worse -- in the community monetary support on which it has always relied.

OneMorgan County is also seeking funding pledges from local governments and businesses for its work helping immigrants and refugees adjust to their new home in the county, and vice versa.

OMC has made some tangible progress in building relationships between the immigrant and refugee communities and local residents. But it is now in the precarious position of seeing the grant funding that has supported its first few years of existence come to an end this summer.

Other grants and support from charitable foundations are also being pursued, but the group needs substantial contributions from within the county to demonstrate the kind of local support that can make or break an application for grant funding, according to OMC officials.

This may prove to be a more difficult undertaking, considering that local governments are tightening their belts and purse strings during the recession and businesses are being ultra-careful with spending, with some forced to the point of layoffs.

There is no question that both Caring Ministries and OneMorgan County are worthy causes. But it can be awfully easy to point to economic concerns and uncertainty as perfectly valid reasons for saying, "Sorry, but I just can't help right now."

How these two fundraising campaigns turn out may tell us a lot, both about the values of our local communities and just how deeply we are being affected by the economic downturn.

We hope for the best for all concerned.

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