The coming holiday season can bring out the best and the worst of any situation.

Certain family members that, as much as you love to see them again, you also love counting the seconds until you see their backsides headed out your door.

After waiting until at least the day after Thanksgiving to start putting up your Christmas decorations, you may find that you are already exhausted and somewhat jaded from being visually assaulted with retail store displays that had holly, reindeer and snowflakes in your face since before Halloween was even over.

The competitive commercialism of the holidays is a monster that needs to constantly be beaten back into a submissive role.

It is one thing to enjoy the delights of the season and yet another to use it as an excuse for gluttony at every level.

Over the past few seasons, I have written about how our family enjoys giving experiences instead of stuff. This year it will be a week-long spring trip to the Grand Canyon and a NASCAR race in Las Vegas.

It will be the first time for all of us to visit one of the greatest national parks that resides within the United States. We will make memories of a family experience that will last much longer than the temporary wrapping and the bows under the tree.

Most of the small gifts we do get for each other, certain family members or a small group of friends will be purchased locally from some of our favorite vendors.

There will also be a few larger purchases from the small but important group of regional and national chain stores that are pushing back and keeping their doors firmly closed on Thanksgiving Day in appreciation of the hard work of their employees and their families.

We also plan to increase what we donate this holiday season to others, instead of focusing on what we keep or receive for ourselves.

Do we really need all of that stuff?

Can we, instead, make the season of giving, into a true season of giving to others?

Here are a few of the organizations we will be helping this year:

The Bremerton Foodline is always at the top of my list of recommendations for donations. Whether it is food or cash, what goes to Bremerton Foodline is distributed locally to families right here in our community. (www.bremertonfoodline.org.)

The Salvation Army is another local safety net many members of our community rely on to get them through the worst of the winter months.

That spare dollar or the handfuls of change that you can put into the red kettles which are manned by dedicated volunteers throughout town go on to make a huge difference.  (www.bremertonsalvationarmy.org.)

Lastly, there is always Toys For Tots. The call has gone out this year that toys for infants and teens are sorely needed. New unwrapped items can be dropped off at the Kitsap Mall, ToysRUs and other locations that can be found through their website.  (www.toysfortots.org/donate/toys.aspx.)

Colleen Smidt is a longtime resident of the Bremerton area and writes weekly about political and community issues. Email her at colleensmidt@gmail.com.