We cheer the donors who dug deep to keep the Salvation Army's 50-bed Overflow Shelter from shutting its doors on Tuesday. Tom Lawrence of the Leon Levine Foundation is right: Had it closed, "it would have been a terrible tragedy for Charlotte and the women and children who need the services."

The Levine Foundation was among several donors who gave a total of $335,000 to help the shelter stay open, $95,000 more than officials were trying to raise to keep up with the burgeoning numbers of women and children who were seeking help. The foundation gave $80,000 in a challenge grant, Forest Hill Church also gave $80,000 and the congregations of St. Matthew and St. Gabriel churches gave a combined gift of $50,000. A number of other donors who want to remain anonymous also gave. They all deserve our thanks. This is the kind of giving spirit that this community has long been known for.

Yet, the fact that this community is still seeing so many women and children in need of shelter is sad and unfortunate. The Salvation Army's Overflow Shelter - in space lent by Caldwell Memorial Presbyterian Church - was started last September as the 224-bed Center for Hope homeless shelter began bursting at the seams. So many came for help that women and children had to sleep on the floors of the dining hall at night. The center has been hosting nearly 340 women and children, highlighting the county's 36 percent increase in homeless families last year.

In need of money, the 50-bed Overflow Shelter was set to close. But the donations have given it new life for another year. By then, Charlotte Rescue Mission and United Family Services are expected to open a shared campus with programs for battered women and women with addictions.

This stopgap was badly needed with temperatures expected to sizzle in the '90s this week. Homeless women and children would have been forced to take refuge on the streets in oppressive conditions. Now they won't have to. That's a relief.

This situation once again reminds us of the desperate need for programs and services to help the homeless get back on their feet. It also reminds us that we must aggressively tackle the problems that are pushing far too many into homelessness.