We saw some of the best of the Ohio Valley this past week.

On Wednesday, the community room of the Salvation Army church on Eoff Street was covered in huge white bags, each one packed with toys, clothes and other items that hundreds of people bought for hundreds of children around the Northern Panhandle as part of the Salvation Army Angel Tree program. Those bags were distributed in Ohio County on Wednesday, Marshall County on Thursday and Wetzel and Tyler counties on Friday.

On that same Wednesday, the Wheeling Police Department and United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley were at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital handing out toys from the past weekend’s “Operation Toy Lift,” a joint event between the WPD, the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office and the United Way that collects hundreds of toys for children throughout the valley at the Ohio Valley Mall.

Also on that same Wednesday, the Stoltz Family McDonald’s restaurants passed along the gifts they bought for kids at the St. John’s Home for Children. Those came from donations collected through customer purchases through the McDonald’s app.

And on Saturday, Bishop Darrell Cummings and Bethlehem Apostolic Temple held their annual Christmas giveaway, handing out food, clothing, toys and other items to folks throughout the Ohio Valley in need.

In just a few days, several groups made the holidays brighter for hundreds of families in jeopardy of a gloomy season. With help from the compassion of so many, they’ll wake up Christmas morning and smile at what’s under the tree.

Those are just some of the examples of the ways that Ohio Valley residents have taken the time to help others this holiday season. They’ve pulled lists off of Angel Trees. They’ve rung bells for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign. If they weren’t ringing bells, they were digging into their pockets and sliding money into those kettles.

Through their resources, their time or a combination of both, so many around this region have proven correct the notion that the Ohio Valley takes care of its own.

And as good as that makes those in need feel, those reaching out to help feel good, too.

“There is this caring community that comes together,” Salvation Army board member Barry Allen said. “Wheeling is a small little town but there are a lot of resources and a lot of caring people. This is just one example. It’s so humbling.”

“We just feel like it’s important to be good neighbors,” Stoltz Family McDonald’s owner/operator Bob Stoltz said. “And McDonald’s is synonymous with kids, so we just feel like this is something we could do to help in the holiday season.”

“It means a lot — especially this year,” said Maddi Seavy, associate director of the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley. “I think it’s been one of the harder years for a lot of families — a lot of our neighbors and people that we care about. So it really means a lot to be able to just provide some of that support and to be thankful for everything you do have.”

Let these examples of kindness and generosity be the catalyst for even more good works around the Ohio Valley. The holiday season isn’t over yet. Plenty of others could use help. The people of this community have shown time and again they’re willing to lend a hand.