We are in the midst of the opening days of the official Christmas shopping season, with the “observance” of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday filling our eyes and ears in our often-consumer-driven society.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe fully in supporting business, especially our local businesses whenever possible. It’s great to go out into our local shops and purchase directly from those who are a part of our community…even better when they are owned and operated by our neighbors.

But, understandably, that hustle and bustle and emphasis on spending so much can sometimes get us down and, in its own way, detract from the holiday season as we see increased stress piled on to our already hectic lives with the rush to find the “perfect gift” for everyone in our lives.

While all of that has been in our face, there are other things we shouldn’t forget about, which bring just as much importance to this holiday season.

The spirit of giving is all around us, even if we don’t always see it.

We know of the Angel Tree program through the Salvation Army, and are no, no doubt, hearing the all-too-familiar ringing of the bells as part of the organization’s red kettle drive, with volunteers and Salvation Army officers standing outside select businesses seeking donations from the public.

Recently, the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce held its traditional November Business After Hours, hosted at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott, where attendees were asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy for their admission.

Those toys, gathered with assistance from the Tri-State Young Marines, also benefit the Salvation Army as it works to find toys to provide local youth who otherwise might not receive anything.

The City of Weirton is doing its own collection, accepting donations of toys and non-perishable food items, with boxes located at the Millsop Community Center, the Mary H. Weir Public Library, the Weirton Municipal Building, and both the Headquarters and Gilson Avenue stations of the Weirton Fire Department. This effort has grown in recent years, starting with municipal employees making their own food donations, to asking support from the public. Donations also were accepted toward the effort during the recent Christmas on Main Street event.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, and other law enforcement agencies across the country, organize Shop with a Cop, a program to provide for youths and teens who might otherwise not receive anything during the holidays.

Through donations from the community, deputies accompany registered individuals to shop for their wish list. The goal is to both help brighten the holidays for these youth and provide some community interaction from law enforcement.

In Brooke County, there is Bernie’s Kids, founded by the late Bernie Kazienko, who had at various times served as the county’s sheriff and a county commissioner. It, too, looked to brighten the holidays for the county’s youth by raising funds to purchase toys. The Brooke County Deputy Sheriff’s Association now runs it, carrying on the tradition.

Let’s not forget about providing for our nourishment, either. This past Thursday, the Weirton Ministerial Association, supported by All Saints Greek Orthodox Church and numerous volunteers from the community, provided the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner, making deliveries of meals to pre-registered shut-ins and serving hundreds of meals to individuals at the Greater Weirton Senior Center.

A similar effort was started for Christmas last year, with support from the City of Weirton, Salvation Army and local organizations, delivering meals to residents, and I’ve heard there are plans to have it return this year.

They say it is better to give than to receive. Let’s not forget what giving truly is about when we’re out there trying to find those “perfect” gifts this holiday season.

(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter/X @CHowellWDT)