The holidays are officially here, and you know what that means.

Yes, it is time to finally take out your air conditioners and grumble about the incoming cold weather. It’s a time-tested New England tradition, and one to be taken seriously.

But all joking aside, with Thanksgiving coming up next week and every commercial break now packed full of ads featuring huge corporations goading us to buy things we most likely don’t need, the entry into the holiday season is a great time to remember how much of a difference each of us can make in the lives of those who face hard times in the coming months.

With the increasing costs of food, housing, childcare, and the general costs of goods and services throughout the economy, many of our neighbors will be forced to make difficult decisions about what they can and cannot afford. Some will go without adequate heat, while others will face increased food insecurity during a time where societal pressure is high to provide extravagant feasts. For many families in Rhode Island, the holidays are a harsh reminder of the struggle to simply get by.

No one person can solve these inequities that exist, but every person in a position of stability can do something to make life just a little bit merrier for someone going through hard times.

We are fortunate to live in a region where the opportunities to give back are plentiful, and the impact is instantaneous.

Particularly during the holidays, with food insecurity on a drastic increase in recent years and food pantries struggling to keep up with demand, a donation of food items or money to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank is a surefire way to ensure your gift goes directly to helping those in need.

A good starting point would be to look into our community action agencies (CAPs). Our CAPs provide dozens of avenues to donate time or money to various charitable efforts, including their own food pantries and the opportunity to “adopt a family” to ensure they have meals and gifts to provide to their loved ones.

Consider reaching out to any of our local churches, senior centers, and Rotary Clubs, who all usually operate some form of charitable drive during the holidays. Talking to these groups can often lead you to other charitable work occurring in the area.

The full list of organizations doing amazing work in our communities is too numerous to name one-by-one, but all are connected in the sense that they share a common mission of providing direct assistance to people in need.

Of course, giving can occur at any level, and in many ways. Simply reaching out to a neighbor that lives alone and making sure they are okay could make a big difference to that person.

Griping about the weather might be one of Rhode Islanders’ most tried and true traditions but being neighborly to those around us is a pastime that is even more prevalent and deeply rooted into our collective spirit. We implore you to keep that tradition alive.