The giving season is in full swing. We are solicited just about everywhere we turn — on TV, outside the store, in the pages of the newspaper. This is the season when charities can do the most good.

But it takes a relentless pursuit of money to fund those good deeds. Every non-profit seeking your dollar is not created equal. Some use donations to pay administrative salaries while others send all donations directly to those in need.

When it comes to local giving, there are plenty of opportunities but there’s one in particular we can vouch for. The annual Holiday Food Pantry Drive, a joint effort between Bank of Brookhaven and The Daily Leader, is in its 14th year.

The money raised goes directly to five local organizations that help local individuals.

Donors have the option of giving in honor or memory of someone, anonymously, as a business or as an individual. A grand total of donations will be printed in each edition of the newspaper until the drive ends Dec. 15.

Donations will be accepted at both The Daily Leader and Bank of Brookhaven. Checks can be made out to Holiday Food Pantry. Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven, MS 39602. They’ll also be accepted at the newspaper office.

Contributions to the Holiday Food Pantry also can be mailed to the bank, given to bank cashiers or donated through the drive-through window.

Already, contributions have been received and we thank those individuals for giving. We also thank those who will give in the future and encourage everyone to take part in this effort.