Today is Giving Tuesday. Dear readers: If ever there was a time when those with enough, or more than enough, should consider sharing their good fortune with those who have little, this is it. Please commit to give — to donate money, goods or whatever help can be freely offered — on behalf of those in need.

On this day and season of giving, generosity is always welcome, because there is always need. Misfortune can affect our neighbors at any time, and there’s no more distressing evidence of need this year than the burned-out town of Lahaina, decimated in a catastrophic fire. The Aug. 8 fire upended typical calculations of need, displacing 8,000 people and wiping out about 3,000 housing units, all at once.

Help from all quarters is welcome, because the Lahaina disaster has created needs deeper than Maui County or the state of Hawaii can meet unassisted.

Multiple organizations are accepting donations and working to help those displaced by the fires. Among the largest of the organizations is the Hawaii Community Foundation, which is coordinating efforts with state and county leaders, nonprofit organizations and community members to support both urgent and long-term needs. Donate at hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong.

Also, the call is out for a specific group of potential helpers: homeowners who have a vacant unit or shared housing opportunity available, preferably for at least 18 months. Last week, Gov. Josh Green and the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. (HHFDC) renewed their call for property owners to help, because thousands of displaced families are still living in temporary shelters — largely hotel rooms that will not be available for the extended period required to set up alternative or replacement units.

“We still need many other property owners to step up to the plate,” Green said. To offer a property to displaced Lahaina fire survivors, go to dbedt.hawaii.gov/hhfdc.

The housing crisis that has developed on Maui also should remind us that those who lack a roof over their head, or enough food to eat, suffer the most urgent needs — and these great needs exist on every island.

The Good Neighbor Fund, a collaboration among the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, First Hawaiian Bank and Helping Hands Hawaii, answers direct requests from struggling families who detail what they need most. This is often help with the basics, such as paying bills or having enough nutritious food. With more than 700 households requesting assistance, the goal is to raise $125,000.

Donate online at helpinghandshawaii.org/donate/goodneighborfund; or mail a check payable to “Good Neighbor Fund” to Helping Hands Hawaii, 2100 N. Nimitz Highway, Honolulu, HI 96819. Donated items will be accepted at the Helping Hands Community Clearinghouse, 2100 N. Nimitz Highway, until Dec. 9. All First Hawaiian Bank locations will accept monetary contributions through Dec. 30.

Some needs aren’t as obvious but are essential nonetheless, such as having the basic skills to survive and thrive.

One of these skills is literacy, which contributes to our ability to communicate, learn and care for ourselves and others.

The Hawaii Literacy Foundation serves adults and families, communities where library access is limited and those learning English as a second language, and also supports digital literacy. Its programs can change a life, helping underserved children prepare for and succeed in school, giving adults a second chance to learn to read and write, and providing access to essential survival skills.

To donate or volunteer, go to hawaiiliteracy.org.

Read-Aloud America (RAA), founded and operated from a base in Hawaii, has been working for literacy in the islands since 1999. Donate at readaloudamerica.org/support.

These are only a sampling of the many opportunities for giving that can help our neighbors in Hawaii. The need is there, and this is the time to step up and help.