The season that encompasses Thanksgiving and Christmas is a popular one for community service, but recent stories in the Suffolk News-Herald show there are plenty of people willing to serve even into January, and all year long.

The holidays tend to bring the less fortunate to the front of many people’s minds. When we’re licking our chops thinking about the bountiful Thanksgiving dinner that awaits us, or when we’re anticipating the joy of Christmas morning with many gifts under the tree and family surrounding us, it’s easy to remember that some will experience these holidays without the abundance that we enjoy.

However, when the holidays are over and we slog through the rest of the winter, enjoy our spring activities and summer vacations, get the kids ready to go back to school and endure the arduous task of raking leaves, it’s not always that easy to think about others.

However, some stories we’ve run recently tell a different story.

There was the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event at Booker T. Washington Elementary School, where 50 employees of the Target Import Warehouse spent the day painting a professional development room and cleaning up in the school garden.

Their volunteerism was part of a grant by the company to the school that also includes $6,000 to purchase equipment and supplies.

The Target employees I talked to told me they enjoy volunteering, whether that’s at a school, fundraising for various organizations or doing any of the other projects in which they participate.

“It’s just a matter of putting out the word, and usually people will sign up,” said Cheryl Lawton, who coordinated the effort.

The day after the event at Booker T. Washington, I was at Suffolk Christian Church to cover their annual coat giveaway, which normally happens on a Saturday. It did this year, too, but it was a pretty warm day, and so they didn’t give away as many coats as they usually do. Many were left over, so they decided to give out coats again on each of the next two Tuesdays between 3 and 5 p.m., when they also have a food pantry each week.

It turned out to be a good decision, as this Tuesday was one of the coldest days so far this winter.

About 600 coats were given away between the three days, and folks of all ages in the area will be staying a little warmer this winter thanks to their efforts.

The coats are both new and used and are donated by school groups, church members, friends and others. Monetary donations are used to buy coats in needed sizes as well as scarves, hats and mittens.

Beverly McGahee, who coordinates the coat giveaway, said children’s coats still are left over and encouraged any schoolteacher who knows of a child in need to call the church office at 539-9182 to set up a time to come and look for a coat.