Cash-strapped charity the Family Centre are fundraising their way out of a budget shortfall, raising more than $50,000 in little more than a week.Donor Kirk Kitson said the organisation, “bombarded” with families in need, is dead set on raising $200,000 by the year’s end.“We started this effort at nought last week, and we’re now at $54,500,” Mr Kitson told The Royal Gazette.“There are a lot of generous people and companies in this Island who understand the importance of what the Centre is doing.”Failure to meet the fundraising mark would force the organisation to “retrench” its family therapy and community support programmes, he warned.“This isn’t the time for that,” said the businessman, who has been taken on by the Family Centre as a fundraising advisor. “We have a lot of families struggling. We just have to see ourselves through this period of tough times that Bermuda’s in. We have to weather it.”Mr Kitson, who worked closely with the Salvation Army’s fundraising efforts under former Major Doug Lewis, said he didn’t want to overshadow the contributions of other donors, but has linked with the Family Centre as “a benefactor and helping hand”.Executive director of the charity Martha Dismont described Mr Kitson as “an ambassador”.“I’m really encouraged by the responses so far. We all have to work together the find a way to get Bermuda stronger — that’s the goal. These services are key in that end, along with the work of other agencies.”Mr Kitson helped the Centre with fundraising in 2004, but said he’d decided to return after last year’s Budget cuts.“Government cut the grant but is also referring people to the Family Centre, so that’s really what has me motivated,” he said.“The recession has made conditions worse. So we need a real push to make up for it. The other side of this is we really want to get local support and gets Bermudians to rally to the cause.”Ms Dismont said the charity will give regular updates on its progress toward getting to $200,000 over the remaining six weeks of the year.The group is holding a ‘Cycle for Change’ this Saturday at 10am from the Botanical Gardens, following the Railway Trail and other scenic routes to Somerset Bridge.Useful website: www.tfc.bm.