It’s the holiday season, and it’s a time to reflect and spread cheer

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone.

This past year has been a roller-coaster ride for many. Homeowners have been hit with foreclosures and the city is almost bankrupt. The regional economy is stagnant at best, and either you are unemployed or someone close to you is.

It’s like the 1930s-era Great Depression around here.

But this is the holiday season. A time when we reflect on our lives and a time to spread good cheer.

Yes, we all have challenges ahead of us, but we have one thing we can count on when the going gets tough: our family and each other. It doesn’t matter whether you have lived here your whole life or not.

If you are a Hamtramckan, you are a hearty breed, a person who can survive the cruelest setbacks and blows life deals out.

This is a city of survivors. As a community we have survived worse periods of crisis.

And one key reason we survive is we help our neighbors out when they are in trouble.

If you know of a family down on their heels and in need of some holiday cheer, share a meal with them, or maybe drop off some needed warm winter clothing for the kids. Maybe even some toys.

And speaking of need, the Hamtramck Goodfellows are still asking for donations to offset their annual holiday meal program for our low-income families and those living alone.

Hundreds of locals got to enjoy a holiday meal this week because of your generosity. If you can afford to give, make out a check to the” Hamtramck Goodfellows,” and mail it to: Hamtramck Treasurer, 3401 Evaline, Hamtramck, MI 48212.

Be sure to mark on the check’s memo line that it’s for the Hamtramck Goodfellows.

And one more thing. Here at The Review, we want to give thanks to our readers and advertisers for your patronage. Without your support we could not possibly continue to put out a paper each week.

We cherish the opportunity to serve our community. So it’s worth repeating one more time: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone.