This is when it gets tough. Every year for the holidays, the food shelf of Austin is in desperate need of canned goods and other non-perishable items so that low-income families in Mower County can have enough to eat for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Now, however, our nation is in a serious economic crisis, and the families who may have been able to give a lot before are making sure they have enough themselves.

We simply ask this.

Those who are willing to donate to the food shelf, please do so. Those who can’t, we understand.

We also want to point out, though, that it doesn’t take much to make a difference.

The staff at the food shelf helped serve 2,037 families last year in Austin and the surrounding communities, and as of this week, the shelf’s supply of peanut butter, a valuable source of protein, is empty.

If each Austin resident, all roughly 24,000 of them, brought in just one jar of peanut butter, the food shelf would have its peanut butter supply for 12 years.

There are different ways to help.

One is to simply go down to the food shelf, located at the Salvation Army, 409 First Ave. N.E., from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and drop off food or cash donations.

Another way is to participate in the mail carrier’s food drive on Nov. 8. On that day, leave whatever items you would like to donate near your mailbox, and your carrier will make sure they get to the food shelf.

It’s hard to give to the needy when the entire nation is facing tough financial times, but if we all give what we can it would truly make a difference.