The holidays are a season of their own, the time of year marked by rosy-cheeked shoppers, Christmas radio specials, and wintery cheer. Here at the Beacon, the holidays are also a time to highlight members of the community who improve the lives of those around them. Their compassion is as much a part of the holiday spirit as are gingerbread cookies.
Volunteers stand out in the cold raising funds and support for those in need. Church groups, businesses, and other organizations take time from their daily demands to make sure nobody slips through the cracks this season. Families all across the valley teach their children that it’s far better to give than it is to receive.
Our annual Giving Back issue celebrates just a few of these devoted, caring citizens. Getting to know them and their stories feels just as good as ripping open that first present under the tree.
Happy holidays!
— Beacon Staff

Finding Purpose on the Ranch
All Mosta Ranch continues its tradition of compassion and care for rescued farm animals
By Molly Priddy
The road to All Mosta Ranch is long and winding, an apt way to begin a trip to a place where everyone living there ended up out of a sheer determination to exist, with a little compassion and love thrown in for good measure. READ MORE »»»

Giving Water
Lakeside’s Gregg Scott teaches Tanzanian villages how to build and maintain water wells
By Tristan Scott
The most basic need in life is clean, available water. Gregg Scott, of Lakeside, knows this firsthand. READ MORE »»»

The Lovin’ Spoonful
Community Kitchen-Feeding the Flathead serves up hearty meals and Christmas spirit for the hungry and homeless
By Clare Menzel
Naomi Davidson stood at the counter in the Kalispell Central Christian Church basement buttering slice after slice of bread, slipping the plastic sleeve off each new loaf and piling the plates high. READ MORE »»»

A Safety Nest
Sparrow’s Nest of Northwest Montana nearly ready to start housing homeless high school students
By Molly Priddy
Great ideas are born all the time, but usually, to come to fruition, they hinge on a single moment, a point in time when a different decision could have led nowhere at all. READ MORE »»»

For the Love of a Brother
Four-year-old Kalispell sister raises money to support her brother and other local children with disabilities and delays
By Clare Menzel
Like a good big sister, 4-year-old Raelynn Keller helps her younger brother Hunter with everything. READ MORE »»»