The pandemic isn’t over, as everyone is saying these days, and neither is the economic pain. That’s still a reality for more people than we’d all hoped would be the case, more than 20 months out from the appearance of COVID-19 here.

That’s what gives Giving Tuesday its particular purpose this holiday season.

The worst of the meltdown was at the very start, when many businesses and virtually the entire tourism industry were shut down and thousands lost their jobs; the unemployment rate hit a record 21.9% in May 2020.

The overwhelmed unemployment office struggled with an avalanche of claims, which left many in desperate need of help with the essentials. In 2020, charities such as the Hawaii Foodbank and the Maui Food Bank served many clients who had never turned up for handouts before.

Things have recovered well enough that the jobless rate has fallen to 6.6%. That’s still higher than most places in the nation, and far above Hawaii’s pre-pandemic level of 2.1%, so it remains a signal of the persistent need.

In addition, the supply-chain bottleneck that has roiled markets and driven up prices on virtually everything has meant that food banks everywhere have had to spend more of their resources to restock their shelves.

The bundles going out to families may be smaller as a result, unless more people who aren’t in need this year step up.

Financial donations are particularly helpful — food banks buy in bulk, so dollars can stretch further than if the donor buys food to share. A particular exception: The Hawaii Food Basket is holding a turkey drive, so the birds themselves are being accepted.

Or, if cash is a bit scarce, the gift of time is a great alternative. Whether donating or volunteering, there’s an easy online route by visiting hawaiifoodbank.org, mauifoodbank.org and hawaiifoodbasket.org.

At Christmas, families can feel the need more acutely than ever. Barely coping with the imperative to keep housed and fed, there’s little left over for any of the holiday celebrations that mean so much.

Each Thanksgiving, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser launches its charitable Good Neighbor Fund to help families with the basics. The goal of this year’s campaign, a partnership with Helping Hands Hawaii and First Hawaiian Bank, is to raise $75,000 for the more than 500 people who are seeking assistance, through food, clothing and household items.

Many of these are people who have fallen on hard times due to the pandemic, or due to other personal tragedies. On Sunday, the Star-Advertiser brought attention to the family of Roy French, whose wife’s death in 2017 and his own recent disability left him and his three children in a dire position.

He is fortunate to have shelter with family members, but presents for the kids would be welcome. Donations of cash or checks made out to “Good Neighbor Fund” can be dropped off at any First Hawaiian Bank branch statewide.

The nonprofit Hawaii Community Foundation pursues its philanthropic mission year-round, but has made an occasion of Giving Tuesday by holding a drawing; the winners received $500 grants to the charity of their choice.

But the organization also underscored its hope that the generous spirit lives on throughout the 364 other days of the year. Some of its proposals for ways to continue giving are on its website (www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/givingtuesday).

This year marks the 10th observance of Giving Tuesday, always held the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The holidays are a time to brighten the end of the year, and illuminate the start of the next, for those who have little. Having a reminder of that is a gift in itself.