Now is not the time to clean out your closet.

Well, you can if you want to, but don't go put all your junks in a box and send it to Louisiana. They don't need castoffs there.

The urge to help has to be tempered with realism. Otherwise, it's not helpful. Why do stuff that's only going to make you feel like a champ but won't do any good on the receiving end? Poho. Waste time.

And unless you're a doctor or carpenter, don't get on a plane. They don't need more bodies eating their food, drinking their bottled water and taking up hotel rooms.

Keep it simple. If you want to help, write a check. As much as you can.

If you're looking for a sure thing, make it out to the Salvation Army. Ask Kaua'i. Folks remember.

Long before FEMA set up shop on Kaua'i after Iniki, long before the military landed at Nawiliwili, long before contractors and cleanup crews and insurance agents got there, the Salvation Army was there. They had trucks going up and down the ruined roads of Kaua'i the day after the storm. They passed out the essentials for life: diapers for babies, fresh insulin for diabetics, food and water.

Long after the FEMA folks took their paperwork and left, long after the linemen who helped rewire every utility pole went home to Southern states, long after the lights went back on, the Salvation Army was still there, feeding and clothing and fixing.

And in the time in between, when the inevitable finger-pointing and blame-gaming was flying around faster than gale-force winds, the red shield was the place you could turn to for straightforward help with the basics.

The Salvation Army recruited volunteer carpenters and electricians to come to Kaua'i to help repair houses damaged by the hurricane but still occupied. Project Make Safe swept through 200 homes in two months doing urgent repairs for free with donated materials.

In November, when everyone was weary and cranky and just about out of "can-do" cheer, the Salvation Army hosted a Thanksgiving feast and invited everyone. There was a big dinner served for 8,000 people in Lihu'e, with smaller gatherings elsewhere. They had music and Santa and toys for the kids and everything was free.

And you never, ever heard about Salvation Army corps members or volunteers living large in some hotel room. They camped. They cooked. They gave without taking.

So if you want to know you're making a difference, support the Salvation Army.

Send checks, earmarked "Disaster relief," to:

Salvation Army

2950 Manoa Road

Honolulu, HI 96822

And if you must clean out your closet, give that to the Salvation Army, too.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.