With the passing of Halloween, the holiday season is nearly upon us.

With it will come many opportunities to help others.

Few acts are as satisfying as giving back to our communities.

Whether you make a monetary contribution or share your time and talents, giving to others can be very rewarding.

Robert “Bob” Flanagan of Bethesda knows this.

He recently donated many hours of work to restore a pair of World War II cannons in his village.

In doing so, Flanagan was giving back to two different groups.

First, he helped veterans by ensuring the cannons are treated with care and respect, keeping the memory of their sacrifices alive.

Second, he contributed to the entire community by beautifying the pieces and preserving these relics of our past.

Flanagan was honored by village officials this week, but we suspect he would say the recognition was not necessary.

We believe he would tell others that the satisfaction of performing such acts of community service is reward enough.

Still, we applaud Flanagan for his work.

We also commend the many other local residents who will help their neighbors this holiday season.

Keep in mind that you, too, can reap the rewards that come from helping others.

Volunteer at a local food pantry or donate to a toy drive. We think you will be happy that you did.