By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and  do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff  or publishers)

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving and the beginning of Hanukkah, spending time with family and friends, and hopefully taking a moment to reflect on what we’re thankful for. I’m thankful for my family, my wife and four sons, and that every day in my job I have the opportunity to make life a little bit better, a little easier for the people of our community. Wrapped up in the day-to-day concerns of our own lives, it can sometimes be easy to forget how blessed we are and the opportunities we’ve had because someone—a family member, a friend or even a complete stranger—lent us a helping hand and gave us the support we needed to make our lives better.

As we enter the holiday season, I hope we can all remember how blessed we are, to be truly thankful, and in turn try to lend a helping hand and support to those who aren’t as fortunate as ourselves. For too many families, the worry isn’t about missing out on a shopping deal on Black Friday, or not securing whatever is this year’s Furby or Elmo. Too many families have to worry about a decision between paying the rent or the heating bill, about putting enough healthy and fresh food on the table, having a roof over their kids’ heads, and even having the right clothes to wear during frigid weather.

Fortunately, we have so many organizations that work not only through the holiday season but throughout the year to support the less fortunate in our community. No one should have to choose between paying their rent or putting food on the table or paying their heating bill. The city’s low income heating assistance program can help low-income households with heating costs through April 30. The program notifies and pays bills directly for residents who pay out of pocket for their heating costs and provides financial assistance directly to residents whose heat is included in their rent. Those without heat at all or threatened by utility shutoffs can get top priority for the program. Citizens Energy can also assist those who face trouble paying their heating bill this winter.

Food insecurity has grown by over 43 percent since 2008, according to Project Bread’s 2012 report on hunger in Massachusetts—the highest rate recorded in the state since the data was first collected in 1995. The rate of food insecurity in that report was 11.9 percent. That’s more than 1 out of 10 households facing the prospect of not being able to feed themselves and their families. Somerville residents can be helped with donations to the Elizabeth Peabody House, the Somerville Homeless Coalition (which runs a food pantry) and Project Bread and the Greater Boston Food Bank. Hearty Meal for All also could use your support—held the second Thursday of each month at Somerville Community Baptist Church, the program provides a free, healthy meal for anyone who wants to attend.

Facing a growing demand and depleted funding, the Somerville Mobile Farmers’ Market, which brings affordable fresh fruits and vegetables to low-income households and seniors each week, is running an online Citizinvestor campaign through which you can donate and help fund, through the winter and next summer, the matches that the market provides to low-income customers.

Seniors can also be helped with a donation to Somerville Cambridge Elderly Services, which runs various programs including Meals-on-Wheels, a Brown Bag Program that provides nutritious groceries every month to seniors, farmers’ market coupons and community cafes.

There are also members of our community who face a potentially dangerous situation during the holiday season and need your help. Last year’s National Census of Domestic Violence Services found on one day in Massachusetts that 1,752 victims received services from domestic violence programs. On that one day, there were 443 unmet requests for services—including transportation, childcare and legal representation—that could not be provided because those domestic violence programs did not have the resources to offer these services.

Eighty-six percent of the unmet domestic violence service requests were for housing, either emergency shelter or transitional housing. RESPOND Inc. in Somerville provides services to victims of domestic violence such as food and clothing, legal support for victims and more. Items that RESPOND can use include gift cards to grocery stores, pharmacies and retailers; toiletries such as shampoo and soap; sheets, towels and blankets; and personal care items like laundry detergent and cleaning supplies. You can also make a financial donation to RESPOND.

These are but a few of the organizations helping out our neighbors, families and friends this holiday season. I hope you’ll make a note of others in the comment section below. As you celebrate the holiday season, I hope we can all take that moment to reflect, be truly thankful for what we have, and remember to offer that helping hand to others in need.