In the past week, the editorial staff here at the Shelby County Reporter has written quite a few stories about local charitable organizations and their efforts to serve the county.

Special Equestrians, based in Indian Springs, is putting on a celebrity golf tournament to try to bring $15,000 to the organization, which works to provide therapeutic horseback riding to those with special needs.

The Iron Order Motorcycle Club of Shelby County is sponsoring a motorcycle ride Oct. 5 to raise money for John Oliver Tetloff, 7, a Montevallo Elementary School student with cancer.

The Shelby County United Way announced that its fundraising goal for the county this year is $2.66 million, a mark that’s up about 2 percent from last year’s goal.

Finally, Erin Bodden joined SafeHouse of Shelby County as its new executive director, filling the shoes of longtime director Kathy Wells. Bodden, formerly the director of development for Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama, said she plans to focus on increasing awareness, support and fundraising for SafeHouse, a full-service domestic violence and sexual assault center.

We expect to write many more stories in the coming weeks and months about fundraising efforts, toy and clothing drives and other projects undertaken by Shelby County’s nonprofit organizations. With school back in session and county residents settling back into routines, this begins charitable organizations’ busiest time of year.

With Thanksgiving and Christmas straight ahead of us and many worthy causes needing help daily, it’s the time of year when nonprofits need Shelby County’s citizens to rise up and give whatever we can. The holiday season is quickly approaching, and we have the chance to change the lives of our most vulnerable citizens — those without adequate funds, food, clothes or shelter.

Please consider getting involved somehow, whether it’s through donating canned goods, money or helping work a charitable event. Anything you can give will be wholly appreciated by a fellow citizen. Shelby County is Alabama’s wealthiest county — we should also strive to be her most generous county as well.

The We Say is the opinion of the Shelby County Reporter editorial board.