VOA标准英语2009年-US Charities Face Deficit During Holid

The December holiday season in the United States is traditionally a time that many people give money to charities, but with the economic downturn in the US, surveys show that Americans are less likely to give to charities this year. The Salvation¹ Army says that while donations are decreasing, the need for charitable services is going up.

Deborah Block | Washington 15 December 2009

Lanny Green rings a bell to collect money for the Salvation Army outside a grocery store in Arlington, Virginia

Lanny Green stands outside this grocery store in Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC.  He rings this bell to collect money for the Salvation Army, a worldwide charitable Christian² organization.  The money is used to help needy³ people in the local community. 

"I'm proud to do it and I feel like I'm doing something good," he said.

Green has no job and is living in a shelter.  Many bell ringers are volunteers but others, like Green, work for a small hourly wage.

"I was looking for work and then I found the Salvation Army, and I decided⁴ I wanted to work with them, and volunteer to try to help somebody else while helping⁵ myself," he added.

Many Americans say they will still contribute something to charity during the holiday season.  But a poll, commissioned by the American Red Cross, indicates 20 percent of Americans plan to reduce their charitable contributions.  Green says some people apologize for not putting money into the red kettle.

"I've had a couple of them tell me they're out of work right now, and normally they give money to the Salvation Army, but right now they just don't have it," he noted⁶.  "And some [people] put in pennies, and I say, 'It's not how much you give. It's that you are giving it out of the bottom of your heart.'"

Salvation Army spokesman George Hood⁷ says the demand for charitable services has grown substantially.

"People who are our traditional donors⁸, many have become our clients. And people who are giving have endured this very difficult 12 month period and so giving is down," he explained.

The Salvation Army also has other programs to help those in need, including shops like this one in Virginia.  Donated items are sold to help support an adult rehabilitation⁹ center in Virginia. 

Eritrean Hiwan Mogas says she often comes to the store.

"The price is less for me.  Good shopping here," she said.

Mike Vincent is head of the rehabilitation center.  He says people are donating clothing to the shop, but they are keeping expensive household goods.

"Furniture sales have been down at least 20 percent and the reason for that is people are holding onto their furniture items due to tough economic times for them," he noted.

The Salvation Army also helps poor people pay their utility bills.

"Our greatest fear right now is that if we don't raise the same level of money that we did a year ago, knowing that we have to help more people in January and February when the brunt of the winter begins to take hold and hits, we're going to be really pressed to keep the utilities bills paid and the heat on in many, many homes," added George Hood.

But there is good news in the future for the Salvation Army and other charities.  A survey by Harris Interactive¹⁰, a public opinion research firm, found that nearly 75 percent of Americans plan to increase their charitable giving once the economy improves.

 

1 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

8 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

10 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。