There are several local organizations working to provide food and gifts to the less-fortunate this holiday season. We’ve highlighted several of them in an ongoing series titled “Season of Wishes.”

Our hope is to inform the public about the needs of these organizations, so the public can in turn meet those needs.

At any given time there are countless groups seeking your money, but at the holidays that really ramps up. While there are many national non-profits that do much to help those in need, we encourage you to think locally first when deciding which groups are worthy of your donations.

Local non-profits like Doll’s House and Junior Auxiliary (just to name two) serve the local community and rely on the community to be able to do so.

This time of year, Doll’s House donates Thanksgiving boxes to local residents who wouldn’t have the usual holiday turkey and trimmings without help. Churches, businesses and individuals donate the food that Doll’s House gives away.

It is a perfect picture of community members coming together to take care of each other.

JA’s Wish Tree project is as well. The group’s members place Christmas trees in businesses around Brookhaven. The trees have ornaments with a child’s needs and interests written on the back. Potential sponsors can read the ornament, and bring presents to a drop-off location.

“I think we have about 285 children, and there’s instruction sheets at each location to tell people what to do,” Mendez Vaughn, Wish Tree co-chair, said. “Each ornament gives them the size of the shoes, shirts, pants and what interests the child has or needs. If they like sports, the ornament will say that, but if they need a winter coat, the ornament will say that.”

Ornaments will not identify the children by name, but Vaughn said they’re all from Lincoln County and chosen by local schools.

A similar effort is taking place in Wesson.

There are several other groups doing good this season. Please consider donating your time or money to help them help others.