Alms And The Night

   As the days shorten and the nights get longer, it is only natural that many of us draw the curtains and concentrate on the comforts in our own private lives. It is easy amid the plenty that surrounds us to forget that others have to struggle to pay the rent or buy clothes for their schoolchildren.

   That struggle gets tougher once cold weather comes in, what with fuel bills and diminished work opportunities. But this year bodes to be worse than usual as a result of the drastic cutbacks in public assistance being approved by the Federal Government.

   The Government's cutoff of benefits to legal immigrants will seem particulary harsh on the East End, as our population has become increasingly diverse. Human Resources, the East End's largest food pantry, based in Southampton, recently reported a 20-percent increase in the number of families needing its help.

   We urge South Fork residents to pay heed in the months ahead to appeals from organizations that help the needy, many of which rely on quiet written appeals rather than splashy fund-raisers.

   One of these organizations, the East Hampton Town Community Council, which assists residents facing financial emergencies and helps provide equipment for the sick, has just begun its annual fund-raising drive. Residents also can help by contributing their time. Many of these organizations are in serious need of volunteers to help manage their increasing workload.

   Other local organizations also are deserving recipients of time and money, including, to name but a few, Meals on Wheels, which provides food to shut-ins; the various local food pantries, including East Hampton's, which has just moved to new quarters behind St. Luke's Episcopal Church; Catholic Charities, which has an office in Bridgehampton; East End Hospice, a Westhampton agency that provides care to the terminally ill, and the Long Island Association for AIDS Care.

   It's hard to beat the Good Book for moral imperatives.

   "If thou has vast abundance, give alms accordingly: if thou have but a little, be not afraid to give according to that little."