They say that adversity reveals character, and that may explain why, despite contributions being more difficult in a tough economy, people across our area continue to step forward and help others.

As 2009 winds to a close, let’s celebrate some of the good things that happened in the last 12 months. Here are some of the year’s top stories in philanthropy.

5. The Salvation Army Saves Christmas ’08. Even in the best of times, many families count on The Salvation Army’s “Angel Tree” outreach to provide bikes, dolls and winter coats for their children at Christmas. In earlier years, the local ministry coordinated gifts for about 400 children, but all of a sudden, the number of requests shot through the roof.

Both the ministry and its contributors scrambled and, in the end, came through with Christmas gifts for 800 children. Each one was a blessing.

“People sent us notes saying, ‘Thank you. If you hadn’t come through, our children might not have gotten anything,’” recalls Major Sue Jervis, who leads The Salvation Army in Sanford. “Some who came to pick up toys broke down and cried. They were all very appreciative.”

4. Groups Unite to Serve. In some communities, civic groups stake out their own territories and projects. Fortunately, tradition is different here, where groups continued to combine their expertise to help others.

Just this fall, the Jonesboro Rotary Club, 4-H and Greenwood Elementary joined forces to help youngsters develop the moral character needed to succeed in life. Rotarians and students with few positive role models have become “buddies,” meeting over lunch to talk about life and work through fun, practical lessons based on the school’s “character trait of the month.”

Of course, that’s not the only example. Local Kiwanians and Rotarians helped serve barbecue at a fundraiser for the Coalition for Families of Lee County, using a facility provided by the Sanford Civitan Club. Downtown Sanford Inc. and the United Way teamed up to launch “giving meters” as a way to curb panhandling downtown and provide real help for the homeless. And the list goes on.

3. Agencies Everywhere Meet Massive Demand. With our struggling economy, you can imagine the spike in requests for help. The numbers are up everywhere, but consider these from the Christians United Outreach Center.

From January through September, the most recent month reported, the center provided 358,051 pounds of food for 26,839 people. If those numbers don’t seem incredible enough, that’s 8,167 more people and 39 tons more food than over the same period last year.

Despite the uphill battle, local organizations of all kinds have managed to meet the challenge.

2. COMPASSION ’09 Launches. For years, nonprofits, ministries and governmental agencies have worked to solve local problems. But this year, for the first time anyone can remember, they actually got together to assess the community’s most critical problems and find ways to tackle them more effectively.

The effort kicked off at COMPASSION ’09 in May has continued ever since, with groups providing food and housing still working to coordinate their efforts and better serve their clients in need.

More ideas and innovation could be introduced soon, with the second annual roundtable, COMPASSION ’10, already on the drawing board.

1. Community Rallies to Save the Temple Theatre. It’s hard to overestimate how much the Temple Theatre means to Sanford. It’s our top year-round tourist destination, drawing both locals and visitors to enjoy live theater, restaurants and area shops. It’s a widely-respected artistic venue, boosting our profile and prestige. It’s a valuable educational resource, giving our children a chance to explore acting, voice and performance through conservatory classes and productions.

So, when the economy threatened to close the Temple, there was much more at stake than eight professional productions each year.

The community responded with an outpouring of individual contributions, fundraising socials and even a benefit golf tournament. The theater professionals did their part, too, taking pay cuts and donating their services to keep from canceling the end of last season.

As a result, you and your family can enjoy an original production of the classic “A Christmas Carol,” which is playing right now on the Temple stage, and look forward to a wide range of shows in the new year.

You can keep these small miracles happening all around us. As you search for meaningful holiday gifts, consider making a contribution in memory or honor of someone important to you.

$150 allows the Helping Hand Clinic to obtain $1,500 worth of prescription medications for needy, uninsured neighbors. At HAVEN in Lee County, $120 per day cares for a family of three fleeing domestic violence or sexual assault, providing everything they need — including housing, food, clothing and counseling.

The United Way can give you many more examples — and make gift-giving easy. Its “one-stop shopping” allows you to make all of your contributions at one time and direct them wherever you’d like. The staff will even send acknowledgment cards announcing your gifts.

But no matter what you give this Christmas, or how you do it, let’s all keep working to make our community stronger, so there will be plenty of uplifting stories to tell again next year.