City Lights:

I had a friend in college who was a devout Christian, and one day he told me how frustrated he felt walking across campus amid people seeking donations for charity. His frustration came from the simple fact that he didn’t have enough money or time to help them all, yet he hated to turn anyone down.

I may not be religious, but I know how he felt. Over the years, I’ve passed on countless requests for help; I’ve supported charities and then pulled my support when money became tight.

Occasionally, I interview someone who became a multimillionaire, then funneled those earnings back into philanthropy. I wonder how many times they had to turn the less fortunate away in their early years, and whether those memories still smart as they write thousand-dollar checks.

The above thoughts went through my mind last week when I stood in the waiting room of the Animal Care Center of Huntington Beach, watching the staffers take holiday photos of cats and dogs to raise money for rescued animals.

Charity as a whole gets tougher during a recession, when many people start paring down their recipient lists and deciding what matters most to them. Animals usually don’t place very high on those lists; earlier this year, we ran a story about all the abandoned pets waiting to be adopted — or euthanized — at the county shelter.

The photo session at the Animal Care Center sought to raise between $500 and $1,000 for rescue groups. In the end, the proceeds came to $610. Given all the cats and dogs in need, it amounted to a drop in the bucket, but still, office Manager Frances Watson told me, the money would cover full medical treatment for at least half a dozen animals. Anyone who has had a pet can vouch for how much a single animal is worth.

In the small clinic at 8851 Adams Ave., tucked in the back corner of a shopping center, owners brought their pets in to pose with Santa Claus (the receptionist with two pillows under his shirt) while a photographer snapped pictures. The requested donation was $10. For animals of different sizes, the staff provided Santa and elf hats, plush antlers and an assortment of holiday-themed shirts.

The clinic had gotten three applications from groups hoping to benefit from the proceeds, and veterinarian Annmarie Hill was considering setting up a fund for pet owners who couldn’t pay for treatment next year. To help her cause, she said, her clinic had sent messages on Facebook and Twitter urging people to adopt rescued animals rather than buy from breeders.

In the big picture, her efforts will benefit just a few animals out of many. I’ve dealt with the same reality while writing checks to Doctors Without Borders or donating to holiday food drives.

How many vaccinations will my $20 pay for? Will the $5 I dropped in the jar provide an entire meal?

Maybe not.

But when I was the education reporter for the Daily Pilot, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District posted a story online that’s stuck with me ever since.

In it, a boy walks along the shore after a high tide, picking up starfish and flinging them back into the ocean.

An old man passes by and tells him the task is futile: There are far too many starfish to reach by sunset, and throwing a few back in won’t make a difference.

The boy thinks for a moment, then picks up another starfish and hurls it into the water. Turning to the old man, he replies, “I made a difference to that one.”

City Editor MICHAEL MILLER can be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at [email protected] .