Some families may not have very happy holidays this season because of mounting medical bills, job losses or other hardships, but local churches are turning that around.

Faith Evangelical Free Church in Austin is one of those churches making a large effort. With the help of referrals from United Way and church members, Faith Church’s Helps organization delivered 52 care packages to families, whether struggling with medical bills, loss of job or other hardship, who may have had an empty table this year.

Faith leaders, educators and volunteers all said they notice an upswing in charity and need during the holidays. Whether families are struggling to buy Christmas presents or pay heating or electricity bills, Christmas dinners can make a little bit of difference.

So with the help of those referrals, extra offerings at the end of services and glazed hams donated from Hormel, Faith members boxed up dinners of all sizes for families large and small who needed a boost.

Gordon Harder has helped package and distribute the care packages for several years, and he said most older, married members remember what it was like when they just got married, so they are happy to donate to young, struggling families who have earned some assistance.

“Helps is meant to be an entitlement,” Harder said. “What it is is a helping hand along the way.”

Westminster Presbyterian members also want to make sure people have good meals this holiday season. So members made a push this winter to donate to Hy-Vee’s feed-a-family program, which is wrapping up soon.

“People thought it was a fantastic idea,” said Pastor Andy Lindahl. “It was just amazing that Hy-Vee was willing to do that,” he said.

Lindahl was proud of his congregation’s contributions, which he said were significant.

Simple contributions like those will combine with many others to feed 717 families through Hy-Vee’s feed-a-family program.

And even the small town folks and rural families are getting attention, as well.

The Lyle Food shelf in Lyle Our Savior’s Lutheran Church will once again be sending out some Christmas care packages. The small-town church has a big-time food shelf that donates roughly five to six Christmas dinners in its area each winter.

Area people have noticed the issue of hunger, and they genuinely want to take care of each other, Finley-Shea said.

“If people are going through a difficult time, the community wants to reach out and help,” Finley-Shea said. “And often, at Christmas, people sometimes make special donations that we provide for families for Christmas dinner.”

She added, the holiday spirit sparks plenty of charitable feelings in the locals, and the Christmas dinners aren’t necessarily planned. They come together because of the influx of donations and thoughtfulness during the season

“It kind of happens spontaneously,” Finley-Shea said. “And what happens is people usually will somehow call and say, ‘I’d like to donate five hams,’ and a day later someone will say, ‘You know, I’ve got fifty pounds of potatoes.’ It’s really funny how that comes together, but it always just happens. That’s really kind of a neat, spontaneous way that the holy spirit works.”