Thirty years ago, there were only a few non-profit organizations here in the Boothbay region. There were the YMCA, Boothbay Region Land Trust, the Boothbay Harbor and Southport libraries, the Rotary and Lions clubs, the District Nursing Association, Boothbay Region Student Aid Fund, Boothbay Region Ambulance Service, Boothbay Region Historical Society and a few others. Since then, dozens more have formed to provide service and help for those who need it.

Three years ago, several of the "old" nonprofits joined with the "new" nonprofits to celebrate "Giving Tuesday," a national movement held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving where people are encouraged to give these nonprofits their time, their expertise and their treasures. Giving of time may mean helping out at the Boothbay Region Food Pantry by stocking shelves or handing out food during their designated hours, volunteering at Lincoln Arts performances, joining the aging Woodchucks, or serving as a director with the Boothbay Region Student Aid Fund. If you have an expertise, you can help a nonprofit with your organizational skills, your bookkeeping knowledge or provide your writing and computer skills. Giving of treasures is donating funds or including a bequest in your will to nonprofits, supporting their fundraisers and more.

Talking with Valerie Young, who helped spearhead the Giving Tuesday movement here in the region, we found out that "because our population in the region is aging, we do have a lot of retired people who have and can help out by volunteering their time, talent and treasures." She also said that young parents can show their children the meaning of "giving back to your community" by volunteering their time and talents to a nonprofit — some of which may provide a full- or part-time job.

Hopefully you will save the Boothbay Treasures 16-page insert, which came with last week's issue and is in this week's issue. It is full of information on the area's 44 nonprofits, which are part of Boothbay Treasures. Included is information on how our various nonprofits impact our region (see the center spread). It also includes some of the familiar faces who volunteer their time to nonprofits and what volunteering means to them. If what they have to say doesn't make you want to help, then just volunteer on your own and you will find out how gratifying it is to help your fellow citizens with whatever need they have. If you don't have an insert, check out the Boothbay Treasures Facebook page, where there is a lot more information about each local nonprofit.

As Valerie Young says in her message on page 3 of the insert, "Local non-profits cannot do the good work they do without YOU. Your gifts of time, talent and treasure truly make a difference."

We urge you to celebrate "Giving Tuesday," Nov. 29, by supplying some time, some talent and some treasures to a nonprofit. Do it now as many nonprofits depend on the end of the year help to keep their services going. You'll be glad you did.