Combined Federal Campaign Overseas officials are optimistic that the economic downturn won’t put a damper on people’s willingness to help a worthwhile cause.

The campaign lists more than 2,000 charities and causes for military servicemembers and U.S. government employees overseas to give to from Oct. 1 to Dec. 3.

This year the campaign has so far raised $4.3 million total overseas and $1.7 million in Europe. Last year, CFC raised $5.6 million in Europe.

"The campaign is going fine," said Constance Baker, deputy director of CFC-Overseas. "Even with this disturbing [economic] news and this looming possible recession, people are responding very generously."

Baker said she is not worried about how much money has been raised as the campaign nears the halfway point. "There is still a long way to go," she said.

Volunteers with units are still getting the word out about the campaign and more donations tend to come in toward the end, Baker said. The goal is to make every civilian government employee and service member aware of the campaign, so they can donate, she added.

Anyone who wants to donate can give in one of three ways. Donors can go online to www.cfcoverseas.org, and click on the Search and Pledge button. They can give by entering their credit card number, printing out the needed paperwork and submitting it, or by getting pledge cards from one of CFC’s key people in each unit.

Those key people could be a unit coordinator or an area project officer who coordinates the campaign at each base.