Listen. You can hear it if you're quiet. It might be faint, but it gets louder and louder as the holidays get closer.

It's that little bell ringing out in front of the mall asking for charitable contributions. This winter, do something different - donate.

It's true that our economy is dwindling, but during these times, we should give even more.

We need to recognize that charities need help and not just at the holidays. We need to help all year round. Any money is helpful when it is going toward a good cause. A little bit adds up to be a lot.

It is possible to create spare change in many ways. Start off by giving the money from your beer can returns from the weekend before.

Or, instead of getting your presents wrapped at the mall this holiday season, wrap them yourself. Not only wrap them yourself, wrap them in newspaper, this Opinion Page perhaps.

In turn, donate the money that you would have spent on paper, bows, ribbons, tape, scissors and those cute little tags to charity.

Donating clothes also is an option. It might be about time to let go of some of those clothes from middle school - especially when you can't even fit into them.

Time also is of the essence. If you really are strapped for cash and you can't bear to give your old T-shirts away, donate your time.

There are many opportunities to volunteer. It can be anything - food drives, soup kitchens or tutoring at local elementary schools.

There should be no reason a person can't afford a couple hours a week to volunteer, and if there is, maybe he or she should question what exactly is important in life.

Regardless of the upcoming holiday season, as a society, we need to realize that donations and volunteering should continue all year long. It shouldn't take a ringing bell or even a national tragedy to be generous. We all need to give our time, talent and treasures.

Although it is a cliché, the wisdom still holds true: It is better to give than to receive.