It’s awfully easy at this time of year to get wrapped up in ourselves as we prepare for Christmas.

The right gifts must be purchased and wrapped just so. The right food needs to be bought and prepared. The right outfits must be selected to look our holiday best at festive functions.

The house needs to be decorated appropriately, the Christmas cards need to outdo last year’s, and with each passing year, it seems there is less time to get it all done. It is very easy, indeed, to get caught up in the trappings of Christmas and lose sight of the true meaning.

Which makes it all the more heartwarming to see the good work being done by the many local organizations who help ensure that at a time of year when the struggle to provide essentials is exacerbated by the arrival of a gift-giving holiday, some of those families who find themselves in a difficult financial situation can provide gifts, food and warm clothing for the most vulnerable and needy among us.

There are too many organizations to name that participate in toy, food and clothing drives, but the many individuals, faith-based organizations and civic groups deserve a tremendous thanks for the good works they do.

Our community has always been one that shares when there is need and lends support when times are difficult, and for many local families, their need is never greater than at Christmastime.

The first Christmas was about giving a gift that forever changed the world. Those that give of their time and themselves are helping to change the world as well, one family at a time.