During the holiday season, many people volunteer for and donate to nonprofits. But once the new year rolls in, many local nonprofits see a drastic drop. One reason for this, according to Brian Byrnes of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, is that toward the end of the year, people tend to donate money to nonprofits for tax reasons.

Sherry Hooper, executive director of The Food Depot, agrees but adds the holidays make people more aware of their good fortune.

"They realize how blessed they are and want to give back to their community," Hooper said.

But just because the holidays have passed and the next tax break is nearly a year away doesn't mean we can't spread good cheer. Local nonprofits are still in need, and there are plenty of volunteer opportunities to go around.

Help the hungry

Hooper said the holidays are a good time for her organization.

"The Food Depot experiences an increase of not only volunteer support but financial support throughout the holiday season," she said. "The bulk of our contributions come to us during the holidays. You'd be surprised about how much it slows down once the New Year comes."

And that's when The Food Depot needs the most help. "We frequently tell people ... hunger doesn't take a vacation. It doesn't go away. It's a crisis that's with us every day of the year," Hooper said. Right now the organization is in desperate need of financial contributions to continue to purchase food, which she says is the best way to help out.

"We can take their individual dollar and stretch it to provide four meals to people in need," she said. To help, make checks payable to The Food Depot and mail to 1222 Siler Road, Santa Fe, N.M., 87507, or donate online at www.thefooddepot.org. Hooper said volunteers are always welcome as well. Call 471-1633.

Help kids read

Lou Finley, who runs an after-school reading program at the Boys and Girls Club, has seen her volunteer list grow this year. She believes it might be because she was featured as one of The New Mexican's 10 Who Made a Difference in 2009, bringing attention to her program.

Finley also writes a letter to the editor twice a year — one in August and one in January — calling for volunteers. She has about 30 people donating time, but on any given day there are only four to 14 volunteers in the room. Volunteers work with first- and second-graders on worksheets and reading skills.

Finley's ideal situation would be to have 10 volunteers every day her program runs (3:30-4:30 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday).

"I have nine tables and that would leave me free to float," Finley said with a laugh. She is also looking for financial contributions, and is planning for the future of her program.

"I am 78 years old," she said. "At some point, I may not be able to handle this program anymore, and I would certainly like to see it continue."

For more on Finley's program, call her at 988-7278.

Mentor a little one

Carissa Eret, marketing coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern New Mexico, said she didn't notice a surge of volunteers and donations around the holidays. She did note, however, that the New Year is a time of growth for them.

"Once you get past the holidays, people are back to work," Eret said. Because January is Mentoring Month, she's hoping that more Hispanic men will sign up to mentor boys.

"We always need volunteers," Eret said. "Our big one is men in general but also Hispanic men ... It helps families who don't speak English — not necessarily the children, but the parents. It helps (mentors) to have that relationship with the family, which we'd like them to have."

Eret is also looking for families to enroll their girls. "Little girls are not referred to our program (as often)," she explained. "We have women waiting to be matched for the program."

Also, the big annual fundraiser for the organization is coming up in April — Bowl for Kids' Sake. To enroll a team, visit the Web site, www.bbbs.org, or call the office at 983-8360.

Help homeless kids

Melissa Frank-Williams said that Youth Shelters and Family Services is always grateful for community support.

"It is a huge portion of our budget — in-kind and cash donations," Frank-Williams said. "We appreciate that."

But she does notice a drastic drop in donations after the holidays end. The organization is in need of nonperishable food donations. Volunteers are also needed.

"Usually, our volunteers work in our emergency shelters or Street Outreach Program," Frank-Williams explained. "Those are the two that are most often in need."

Duties vary, but Frank-Williams said many volunteers work with the Kids Can Cook program, which teaches nutrition and cooking basics.

"We also have folks that come in and offer anything they might specialize in," Frank-Williams said. "We've had various fitness volunteers and they come in and do anything (including) Pilates with our young people."

For more information, visit the Web site at www.youthshelters.org.

Looking for more?

Local resident Gaye Pollitt caught the "community organizing bug" during the 2008 presidential campaign. When that was over, she wanted to promote two reading programs for which she volunteers — HOSTS, or Helping One Student to Succeed, and Finley's reading program — with a Web site called EngageVolunteer, www.engagevolunteer.blogspot.com. She soon started listing other nonprofits and organizations and her list has grown to 11 — including Girls Inc. and Habitat for Humanity.

"I've decided I wanted to go public with (the Web site)," Pollitt said with a laugh. She's inviting more organizations to take a look at her site and if they like it, request to be included by or calling her at 982-1899 or reaching her through the site. She's also hoping the site will connect volunteers with nonprofits.

Pollitt created this Web site because she is a firm believer in volunteering, whether people do so through her site or because of specific interests.

"These organizations are really, really hurting," she said. "These economic times have hit everybody personally, but (have) also (hit) the organizations that do good in our community and have a lot of people depending on them ... Do it with heart and soul — that's what the organizations need."

Contact Ana Maria Trujillo at 986-3084 or atrujillo@sfnewmexican.com.