Hope for the Holidays, a non-profit group created to aid needy residents of the Concho Valley, helps people who can't find help anywhere else. The program, sponsored by the Standard-Times, Foster Communications and the United Way of the Concho Valley, finds people who have fallen through the cracks and seeks to find them help -- and hope.

Each fall we tell their stories through the newspaper and radio. If the people who need help allow us to publicize their names, we do. If not, we respect their privacy.

Help comes in different forms, from many people.

Generous donors have made tax-deductible contributions of money, and every cent goes to the needy people.

Other donors have given their services, ranging from carpentry to dentistry.

Area businesses also offer assistance, and other non-profit groups help manage the cases of people who need help.

Rick Smith of the San Angelo Standard-Times has started the ball rolling for 2009 with this article.