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There were so many people in this community who gave back during Thanksgiving week. When the annual community Thanksgiving dinner in LaGrange had to be canceled due to COVID-19, many came together to give food for people in need.

In West Point, restaurants and community leaders came together to cook hundreds of free meals for the community.

We say this pretty consistently, but it’s worth saying again:  The giving aspect of this community makes it such a great place to live. It’s also a reflection on the good people who live here.

Thanksgiving is all about being grateful for the people we have in our lives and focusing on what truly matters. Some of us are spending this weekend shopping our legs off, probably buying gifts for those same people we ate a big meal with on Thursday.

And some will do the same on Monday, when online sales dominate the internet on Cyber Monday.

All of that shopping can be fun, but there are also many ways to continue to give back this holiday season, where there’s even more need in past years. COVID-19 has impacted us all in one way or another, so it’s important to give back if you have the means to do so.

One of the biggest days for giving back will be held Tuesday.

It’s called Giving Tuesday and kicks off the charitable season. This is the eighth year for Giving Tuesday, which was started in 2012.  Hundreds of millions of dollars have been raised online to benefit organizations that people feel strongly about.

It’s not about just one organization, and there are plenty of worthy ones right here in Troup County. If you have the ability to do so, we hope you’ll consider giving back this upcoming week. The holiday season is one of great joy for many of us, but there are many people in the world that could use a little bit of extra help, especially right now.

Giving Tuesday is a great reminder to do so.