AS A NEW YEAR begins, it’s apparent that the global financial crisis is not going away any time soon. The economic slump continues to push Rhode Island’s working families into dire economic straits — some for the first time in their lives. The more than 100,000 calls to United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island, our 24/7 social-service information and referral hotline, offers evidence of “middle-class drift” into need. We see first hand the issues you read about in the morning headlines: foreclosure, unemployment and the loss of public services because of state-budget cuts.

At this time when human-service organizations need to do more, charitable donations are also stressed as donors see a loss of value in their homes and retirement plans, and perhaps even a loss of their own jobs. Rhode Island nonprofits report revenues decreasing and donations dropping as demand for services has started to skyrocket.

Families who never thought of themselves as needing service now feel at risk of losing their homes and the lives they have built. United Way has taken strong action in addressing the long-term issues related to homelessness by increasing affordable-housing stock and developing innovative, cost-effective programs for those who are chronically homeless. Now more than ever we must work in the short term to keep people in their homes and out of shelters.

To respond to this urgent situation, United Way of Rhode Island is today launching a community-wide fundraising initiative called United Way Fund to Prevent Homelessness in Rhode Island. This special appeal, ending March 31, aims to keep people financially stable and out of the already over-burdened shelter system as well as offering help to those hardest hit by the economic downturn and in need of assistance.

One hundred percent of the contributions made to United Way Fund to Prevent Homelessness in Rhode Island will be distributed through agencies, directly to people who need assistance to pay rent, a mortgage, utilities, emergency medical treatment and other urgent expenses. United Way will match every contribution dollar for dollar up to $100,000, doubling the impact of every donor’s gift. I invite you to learn more and to give now by visiting www.LIVEUNITEDri.org or calling 2-1-1.

If you or someone you know needs assistance regarding health issues, financial support, utilities, emotional counseling or has any other social-service concern, I encourage you to either dial 2-1-1 or visit 2-1-1 on the Web at www.211ri.org. Trained operators offer help in a myriad of different languages; it’s confidential and free.

United Way has been a positive force in this state for more than eight decades, and we have seen Rhode Islanders pull together to help in hard times over and over again. Maybe because our state is small, we understand the connection between us; that when we reach out a hand to one, we influence the lives of all; that we all need help sometimes, and we all do our best to give help in hard times if we can. Now that time has come again. I am confident that we will respond, and our community will be better for it.

Anthony Maione is president and chief executive of United Way of Rhode Island.