What a great community! The Journal-World published a short item Saturday morning indicating that organizers of Lawrence’s annual Community Christmas Dinner needed 18 more turkeys and 10 more hams to complete their holiday feast. By noon Saturday, the menu needs had been filled and calls were still coming in.

Six hundred families, nearly double the normal number, sought holiday assistance this year at the Ballard Center. By Monday, Ballard CEO Dianne Ensminger said “we’ve got everybody taken care of.” Many families were adopted, and additional donors stepped up with cash gifts to finish off the requests. Ballard workers were delivering gifts as quickly as possible just to clear space, Ensminger said. “You can’t even walk in here. … It’s absolutely amazing to see.”

Yes, the generosity of local residents is truly amazing. The two instances cited here are just a sample of hundreds of acts of kindness being spread throughout the community this holiday. Of course, many needs will remain when the holiday is past, but the way local givers have stepped up in the last week gives us hope that most of those needs also will be met throughout the year.

Thanks to all those who exhibited the true spirit of Christmas by sharing with those less fortunate.