The people of Warren County will be put to the test over the next six weeks.

The need for food donations is dire. The need for Christmas presents for less-fortunate children will be equally as big.

Everyone in this community with the means and heart to do so must step up to the plate.

The community is sure to meet the challenge, and the result will be a season to remember.

A Page 1 photo in The Vicksburg Post Monday showed empty shelves at the Storehouse Community Food Pantry. The agency provides basic food items for the needy, and president Harry McMillin said the number in need is growing.

The pantry gave food to about 3,400 people in all of 2010. By the end of August of this year, 3,270 people had been helped.

Some of that increase is due to the historic Mississippi River Flood of 2011. Much is due to an unemployment rate over 11 percent in Warren County. Whatever the reason, our neighbors are in need.

With less than a week until Thanksgiving Day, when many will gather with family and friends, there is still time to make a difference. The Storehouse is a worthy endeavor, and others exist.

Find a charity in need and share the blessings we all enjoy.

Some ideas:

• The woods are filled with deer hunters, and it’s likely many of those have venison left from last season. Donate it.

• Make giving a family thing. Collect canned goods and deliver them to a pantry or shelter. Children who see the power of giving will, hopefully, follow suit during their adult lives.

• Volunteer at a shelter or pantry. See the people affected, many of whom are hard-working folks who have fallen on hard times.