It's a way for Frederick County residents to help their neighbors in need, and all it requires is a few clicks of a computer mouse. Frederick 48 takes places this week. Citizens can go on line to www.frederick48.org, and make a contribution to one or more of the non-profit groups listed. Organizers say the goal is to raise $230,000, which is the amount the County Commissioners cut from social service organizations.

Among the non-profits taking part are the Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs, Advocates for Homeless Families, the Frederick Rescue Mission, Care Net Pregnancy Center of Frederick, Frederick Community Action Agency and Interfaith Housing Alliance. A complete list is available at the Frederick 48 website.

All contributions are tax deductible.

Reverend Brian Scott, the Executive Director of the Religious Coaltion,  says all donations will be matched. "The focus of this is to help raise dollars for the needy in Frederick County," says Reverend Scott.  

He  also says the Religious Coalition  helps  in three areas of need: "One of which is at-risk youth. The other is lack of affordable housing; homelessness, and prevention of homelessness. And the third area is health care for the uninsured," he says.

Frederick 48 is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, September 27th and 28th, but Reverend Scott says the website is already up and running, and accepting donations. "So far, there's been $75,000 in matching donations, and by direct donation, $9,000 so far," he says.

"Some folks might have recently received a rebate check from the county," Scott says. "And that's another way in which your dollars can actually be doubled if you make a contribution to Frederick 48 to one of the non-profits in support of that."

Part of Frederick 48 includes a fast for 48 hours. But organizers say you should not refrain from eating food for two days if it might adversely affect your health.

"If 8% of Frederick County households donate $50 during the two-day FAST, more than $370,000 will go to help families facing financial crisis," organizers say in a Facebook posting.