As the holiday season steadily approaches, one cannot forget the old holiday cliché, “It’s better to give than to receive.” We hear that phrase each year, but I wonder – how many people actually listen to it?

Throughout the year, people are in need of many things, from something as immediate as a hot meal to something as important as a place to live. No matter how stressful and problematic our lives may be, there is always someone less fortunate than we are. And while we should try and help these individuals no matter what season it is, I think each of us should take the time to help a person in need as we begin to celebrate this joyous time of year.

I remember when I was a teenager how my Christmases were filled with family, friends, food and fun. Every morning on Christmas Eve (which is the day my family would gather at my mom’s house for the holiday), I would wake up and put on my Santa hat even before I would put on my slippers. Then, as the day progressed, I would play the music of the season while my house filled with the sounds of my family and the smells of my mother’s amazing cooking. From lobster fra diavlo, to shrimp marinara, to baked clams, she went all out – and everyone who came to our home left with a big smile and a full stomach.

But despite the fun I was having, I would always stop to think of those who did not have the opportunity to celebrate the holidays like I did, and I always made it a point to do something each year that would benefit someone who could really use it.

One particular instance where I did this stands out in my head. When I was the editor of a Brooklyn newspaper, I received a letter from a woman who asked if our paper gave donations to needy families. When I showed the letter to my publisher, he felt that his paper was not a charity, and said to simply discard it. Not being able to do that, I sent the woman three $50 gift certificates to Sears, which I charged to my store credit card. About a week later, I got a thank you card from her and her three sons, telling me, in their own handwriting, how the gift certificates will help them buy new clothes, a card I have saved to this day.

Everyone’s holiday shopping list grows each year, but if we take the time to add someone who really needs our help to that list this holiday, I bet that when we sit down for our holiday dinner, the food will taste a little better, and the warmth of the season will feel a little warmer than usual.

Trust me, it is much better to give.