Two weeks before Christmas, I was visiting a customer who has an office in Plainview. Many of the people who work in that office have given me contributions for the homeless over the past several years. Sometimes bags of clothing, sometimes food; one-year everyone chipped in and they gave me $72 in cash for the INN (Interfaith Nutrition Network).

One of the women, Joanne, has been particularly generous and usually gives me several donations during the course of the year. But this year, I knew not to expect too much from her. Earlier in the year, her husband passed away after a long and difficult illness. Then the company she had worked at for more than 12 years laid her off because business was slow. It had taken Joanne months to find this new job and slowly get her life back on track, and it had taken a toll on her, financially and emotionally.

As I walked around the office wishing everyone "Happy Holidays," I saw Joanne waiting for me at her desk. When I got there, she looked up at me and said, "Dave, you know I always give you a donation at Christmas time, but I just don't have the money this year to do it."

"That's all right," I said. "You've done a lot in the past to help people in need." As I was reassuring her, I saw a tear in her eye. Then she handed me a large brown bag that was sitting on her desk.

"I baked an apple pie for the soup kitchen, I hope that's okay."

"That's great," I told her. "Everyone loves apple pie for dessert." Of all the donations I received that week, that apple pie was the nicest. When I dropped it off at the soup kitchen, I had a tear in my eye too.

If you'd like to share some of the good fortune in your life with those who are less fortunate, please make your check payable to the Interfaith Nutrition Network, which provides food, shelter, and support services to hundreds of Long Island families in need. Donations may be mailed to: Dave Golbert, 7 Lee Court West, Great Neck, NY 11024

To donate food or clothing, or for information about volunteering, please call 917-418-2451 or email: davegolbert@yahoo.com

All of us can make a difference. Each of us must try.