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Editorial: Put ACCESS on your year-end giving list Friday Dec 29, 2017 at 12:01 AM It's the time of the year when savvy taxpayers look around for charitable giving opportunities — those who still have disposable dollars left after Christmas, that is. There are plenty of worthy causes out there, but we would like to recommend one in particular: ACCESS Inc. and its network of food pantries that help keep hungry bellies full throughout the year. This year's annual Food for Hope drive, which wraps up Sunday, is lagging far behind previous years, and that's not a good sign, because the social service agency relies on holiday giving to make it through the rest of the year. Hunger does not follow a calendar, and while those less fortunate are on everyone's mind during the holidays, the need continues all year long. Food donations are always appreciated, of course — think high-protein items such as peanut butter, canned tuna, canned meat and beans, as well as nonperishable rice, pasta and cold and hot cereals. But as the New Year approaches, cash gifts can be even more powerful. Because of ACCESS's buying power, the agency can purchase 5 pounds of food for every dollar donated. Money is also needed to pay the power bills for heat and refrigeration units and to buy gas and repairs for trucks to haul food to and from local pantries.  The experts are still wearing out their pencils figuring out how the recently passed tax reform law will affect filers, but one recurring piece of advice seems to be to boost your charitable donations before Jan. 31 to maximize your deductions for tax year 2017, because depending on individual circumstances, your options may be more limited in 2018. ACCESS food programs helped 26,252 people last year, including children, families, veterans and seniors. The need will still be there next year, and it starts in January, when families often find themselves strapped after stretching their budgets to celebrate Christmas. So sharpen your own pencil, figure out what you can share, and write a check to ACCESS Food for Hope, P.O. Box 4666, Medford, OR 97501. Donations can be made online at www.accesshelps.org. Click the Food for Hope box on the home page and follow the directions. You'll be glad you did.