Season of giving approaches

With Thanksgiving on the horizon in barely a week’s time, we’re sure all of you are making good headway on your Christmas lists. Whether it’s gifts you plan to buy or gifts you hope to receive, we know items will soon be flying off the shelves into gift bags and boxes to land underneath Christmas trees across Franklin County.

As is the case every year, however, we have friends and neighbors among us for whom the holiday season presents a challenging time.

This time of year isn’t just about presents – we all know that – but the season can bring stress instead of joy for families that are facing financial hardship. Whether it’s the means to put Christmas dinner on the table or to light up their children’s faces with a pile of wrapped goodies, some in our community need a little extra help this season.

And like Santa, Franklin County has always delivered.

Opportunities to help make the season merry and bright for those in need will be coming to light quickly as we creep toward Dec. 25. Some opportunities, in fact, are already upon us. Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes are being collected this week (visit samaritanspurse.org/occ to find drop-off locations). Additionally, Tharptown Elementary School has begun collections for its Angel Tree, the first one the school has undertaken without a partnership with the high school. Russellville Fire Department has also begun its toy collection, with drop-off points across the community, and registration forms are available at Russellville Police Department for city and county families seeking assistance this year.

Whether it’s through a church, a school or a community group, more such opportunities to help give Christmas to Franklin children – and children across the country and all over the world – will soon be available. We encourage you to choose one or more of these giving opportunities as you make that Christmas wish list.

We will try to share about all the programs going on in Franklin County, either through feature stories or in our community calendar, so continue to read the Franklin County Times for more details.

As the saying going: It is truly more blessed to give than to receive.