Thanksgiving has come and gone, officially kicking off the season of giving.

Thankfully the number of local organizations, Lawrence County businesses and student groups haven’t waited until the official start of the season to begin their own charitable efforts.

It is uplifting to see the number of charitable projects ongoing within our community.

Rock Hill and Ironton high school students are among the school groups who have been conducting coat drives to go along with other schools that are doing Angel trees, food drives and much more.

Civic and charitable organizations like the City Welfare Mission have made a huge impact.

Yesterday, the mission helped feed and clothe hundreds of people who might have been left hungry and cold otherwise.

Civic and church organizations have continued to rally around the mission and provide it with the resources needed to make a difference.

We applaud all of those groups who have been mentioned and all the others who maybe have not yet gotten the recognition that they deserve.

It is groups like these that make the holiday season what it is and reflect the true meaning of being a community leader.

We can be thankful that these groups remain committed to making our community a better place to live.