To the editor:

Not long ago I was having a conversation with another resident of Lawrence about what keeps us in Lawrence and we both discovered that it was the feeling of “community” here.

Our agency has just completed our 26th season of the Holiday Bureau Adopt A Family program and is witness to the fact that this truly is a community of people taking care of their own. This year we had 1,500 people apply for the program. That is a 54 percent increase over last year.

For the first time in the eight and a half years that I have been with the Ballard Center, I was worried that we would have to call people and share the news that we couldn’t help them, but our community once again stepped in and helped. All of the people that asked for our assistance with a holiday meal, clothing and toys for their children, and assistance for seniors and the disabled were taken care of.

Am I surprised? No, it seems as if just as we worry the most, this town and its people pull together to provide yet one more miracle. Thank you, Lawrence and Douglas County, for being a community that looks out for others and cares about those around you.

To all who adopted families and provided donations, to the businesses that supported our Star trees, to the media who helped us get the word out about our need, many blessings to you. It truly takes all of us to make a difference in the lives of others, and this holiday season is but one example of Lawrence and Douglas County residents shining for others.

Dianne Ensminger,

Lawrence