Dear Fellow Nebraskans:

It’s the holiday season, and I write to you this week as Sally, Sam and I are preparing to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with family. The chance to spend time with family and friends is what makes this is one of the most wonderful times of the year.

It is also a time to give thanks for the many blessings in our lives, and while many families across this great state are preparing to celebrate, it’s also important to remember that this can also be a difficult time for many.

In my travels as Governor, I have met individuals and families with plenty and those who have little. On any given day in our state, nearly 120,000 people are enrolled in food stamp programs, and each year more than 34,000 people are homeless for at least a time. There are also more than 7,000 children who are enrolled in Nebraska’s child welfare system who lack the one thing we all need – a stable family life.

We’re taught from an early age that the holidays are about giving – not receiving, so I encourage each and every Nebraskan to consider reaching out in their community. There are many churches, charities, group homes, and shelters in communities across our state that could benefit from a donation or a few extra volunteers on hand.

The Nebraska Volunteer Service Commission is one resource available to help connect those interested in sharing their time and energy with a nearby service organization or charity in need of extra help. More information is available online at http://www.nvsc.ne.gov, or by calling toll-free 1-800-291-8911.

For those with room in their homes and hearts, I urge you to consider becoming a foster parent. Our Health and Human Services System would welcome the addition of new families willing to share good homes with the more than 4,000 children who could benefit from the love and attention a foster home can provide.

Information about becoming a foster parent is available by calling 1-800-7 PARENT, logging onto http://www.hhs.ne.gov and searching for Foster Care on the topics list, or visiting http://www.nfapa.org.

Many residents in the western and central parts of our state have spent time in recent days digging out from the snow that blanketed their communities. While the storm disrupted the travel plans of many others, we can be glad to have finally received at least some of the moisture that is so desperately needed in our state, while also providing at least some Nebraskans with a white Christmas.

On behalf of my family, I send best wishes to all Nebraskans with the hope that the holiday season will provide an opportunity to spend time with friends and family, and also that we might keep others in mind by sharing with those who might benefit from a generous heart and a helping hand this winter.

It is my hope that this holiday season will be one of happiness for all Nebraskans, wherever they are, and as we prepare celebrate the coming of another New Year, that we do so with a sense of anticipation and excitement about what lies ahead for our great state.