What would life be like without the work of voluntary organisations? Very often, their role comes into the limelight only when financial difficulties threaten their very existence, or over the Christmas period, a peak time for raising funds. Response to fundraising events held by individual organisations over the year is usually strong, suggesting that people remain generous both at heart and at their purse-strings.

That is, of course, all to the good, though such generosity does not always reflect itself in attitudes over the plight of irregular migrants who may accidentally land themselves here on their way to the continent on rickety boats.

One organisation that badly needs generous support is Caritas, whose work in combating drug abuse has earned it the nation’s admiration. Caritas gives a strong helping hand in various fields, as well as to self-help groups, but it is particularly known for its work in drug rehabilitation services. When the drug problem in Malta is on the rise, the role it is playing in rehabilitation and prevention work ought to be considerably strengthened, not weakened.

Yet, most dishearteningly, the organisation faces a bleak future unless it is saved from its financial difficulties.

Mgr Victor Grech, its founder, has warned that it might not be able to sustain its drug rehabilitation services in the near future unless its financial situation improved. Few may have imagined that the organisation has even had to take out bank loans to survive. Surely, this is not the way such an essential organisation ought to operate. Its worsening financial position was explained when it launched a week of fundraising activities planned to be held later this month.

There is no doubt that this will be well supported but, beyond the amount that has yet to be collected, the organisation needs to build a sounder financial basis in order to be able to continue operating in the way it has been doing for so many years. Maybe the Government ought to raise its grant as well.

Drug abuse is a scourge that demands constant attention and expert handling. The problem of drug addiction has now been with us for so long that, subconsciously, many may no longer bother to think of the implications it is having on society. Those caring for drug abusers and people coming face to face with the problem in their family know only too well the anguish the problem causes.

Last year alone, no fewer than 694 people sought the organisation’s help to fight drug addiction problems. Mgr Grech said the figure represented a seven per cent rise over that for 2011 and a staggering rise of 34 per cent over the figure for 2004.

Use of heroin has gone down but that of cocaine, cannabis, synthetic drugs and alcohol had gone up.

Caritas says that some were using drug cocktails from an early age and this was making treatment and cure even more difficult.

The organisation needs up to €1.35 million annually to carry out its drug rehabilitation work and is making “big efforts” to continue offering residential programmes at its four centres.

Its rehabilitation work is important but, even more so, is its interactive prevention programme in schools. Character building starts in the family but the work goes on in schools where Caritas encourages resistance to negative peer pressure and promotes knowledge of the harmful effects of drugs and other substances.

Caritas deserves all the support it requires to keep going.