Bermudians are known for their generosity -- especially toward people in need during the holiday season.

And at least three local charities are busily preparing to make Christmas a bit brighter for the underprivileged or homeless members of the community.

Salvation Army Family Services director Janice Dill said they had received requests for more than 500 hampers, and volunteers had already packed 600 hampers.

"We give them a complete Christmas meal with turkey or chicken, stuffing, cranberry, macaroni, sugar, tea, milk, flour, and whatever else we have,'' said Mrs. Dill.

Mrs. Dill said volunteers spent time going through donated gifts, since often second-hand clothes and toys are donated for the Santa Anonymous drive.

"Sometimes we get beautifully wrapped gifts and we open them and there's nothing inside, or something like a box of Cracker Jacks.

"One year, we got a huge, heavy, beautiful box that had nothing but wood inside.

"We check to make sure that every child is treated the same -- although we accept second-hand clothes throughout the year, we make sure the gifts during Christmas are all new because for some, this is their only Santa Claus,'' she added.

Pastor Ron Henderson of the Warwick Seventh Day Adventist Church said each of the nine churches Island wide attempted to provide needy families in their particular community with food baskets.

"People request baskets on behalf of themselves and friends in need -- we (the Warwick church) will be handing out about 30 to 40 baskets this year,'' he said.

Fern Wade from the Hands of Love Ministry said they were hard-pressed to supply all the toys they wanted to donate to tots this year. Mrs. Wade said the Ministry was attempting to provide Christmas trees, gifts for children and groceries for 108 needy families. She noted that Christmas trees were especially hard to come by due to a shortage.

And she said Hands of Love was supplying more than 300 shoe boxes filled with toiletries for homeless children and adults.

Mrs. Wade said the Ministry had given $100 to each of the eight single mothers who were in danger of having their electricity cut because of inability to pay the bill.

"We don't have much money, but God is blessing us and the community is being good to us.''