The number of homeless increases every day, rising at alarming rates over the past quarter. High unemployment leads to many families not being able to afford their housing - putting many more on the crowded streets. Unfortunately during the downturn many companies and people have cut back on their charity giving and contributions.

So here is an easy way to help: have a coat drive in your neighborhood. Rally your neighbors and friends to make a big difference. Plus get your kids involved and not only will it help but it will also be a fun family event. so here is what you do.

Have your children color a nice informitive flyer that you will be buy on A Saturday monring to pick up any extra coats and shoes. Let them know they can just leave the coats and shoes out on their front porch. Then have your children place the flyers in all your neighbor's mail boxes about 2 weeks before your collection day.

Then on the Wednesday before your Saturday pickup; have your children place another reminder flyer that you will be by on Saturday to pick up the coats. Make the flyers fun and colorful and eye catching. Hopefully on that Saturday you should be able to find many coats and shoes left for you. And you will be pleasantly surprised to see how many people leave coats and shoes for you and how many you collect. You will probably need to get some neighbors to help as they all will not fit in your car. Or you can make this a multiple Saturday event or help several shelters.

Then on the following Saturday go down with all the coats and shoes to your selected homeless shelter and drop off the coats, toys and shoes. Take breakfast or lunch or dinner if you like. Even better take some books to read. Or some soccer balls or gloves, bat and baseballs or a football or any other game you might want to play. Feel free to take some paper and crayons and think of some creative crafts. The important thing is also to share some time with the people staying at the shelter. The little bit of time will go along way to helping them feel loved and better about themselves. If you like leave the sports equipment and toys or crafts with the shelter for the next guests to use also.

Also remember the guests at the shelter are constantly changing. If you had another coat drive the next month the chances are the people staying at the shelter will have changed completely. And you will have many new homeless families in desperate need for coats and shoes and blankets and books. You can never do too much and you can always find a new shelter to help or a new set of homeless families to help. The terrible economic news means two bad things - they are many more people in need of help and there are alot fewer people helping and those who are helping are offering less help. Your neighborhood coat drive will mean so much or will mean more than ever.

Thanks for your help.