Our Opinion: Gifts reflect spirit of the season

During this Christmas season, gifts of time, talent and personal sacrifice are among the most memorable.

Our community once again has bestowed such gifts in abundance during recent weeks.

They include:

• As part of the "Moo-lah Campaign" at Lighthouse Preparatory Academy, some students substituted rice for regular meals, then donated the savings. The project was designed to provide farm animals, Bibles and soccer balls to impoverished families through World Vision.

• The Ruth Christ Care Group at Faith Lutheran Church teamed with Heisinger Lutheran Home residents to provide tote bags filled with toiletries to residents of the Salvation Army Center of Hope.

• Officers from state and local law enforcement agencies escorted needy children on a Saturday morning shopping spree as part of the annual Operation T.O.Y.S. program.

• The American Legion Auxiliary No. 5 packed boxes with treats, blankets and American flags for residents at area nursing homes.

• Children from the YMCA's Child Development Center collected mittens, gloves and hats for distribution to area charitable organizations.

• Students from South Callaway Elementary School spent time visiting and playing games with residents of Riverview Nursing Center in Mokane.

• East Elementary School students sang Christmas carols for residents at the Gibbs Center for Independence.

Those examples reflect merely a small sampling of the generous gifts given this season by members of our community.

Those gifts were bestowed by a spectrum of community residents, from young people to senior citizens.

And, perhaps most inspiring, those gifts were not exclusively merchandise or money. Instead, they were gifts created by organizers, crafted by time and delivered with kindness and compassion.