While we are still 47 days out from the big day itself, it is never too soon to begin finding gifts to hand out for Christmas.

In fact, many of us already have a list in our heads of who are planning to buy gifts for this year, which certainly includes members of your immediate and extended family, close friends or maybe even co-workers (at least the ones you like). In a nutshell, we buy gifts for people we know.

Sometimes, though, it is the gifts we give to total strangers that can be the most rewarding.

Thanks to the recent opening of The Stones Throw Family Kitchen, local residents have the perfect opportunity to do just that. All they need to pay is a few hours of their time.

Late last month, the new soup kitchen, located inside a small, cozy old diner at 200 Miller St. in Dowagiac, opened its doors. Created and operated by local nonprofit organization The Stepping Stone, the kitchen’s volunteers serve soup, chili and sandwiches free of charge to hungry people in the area.

Thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Pokagon Fund, the Stepping Stone was able to purchase new kitchen equipment for the building. Thanks to the hard work of the agency’s volunteers, the nonprofit was able to have the building painted and furnished for service.

However, the organization is still in need of the community’s help to keep the kitchen going.

They are looking for people, especially those with experience working in the food service industry, to volunteer their time to the facility. Not only will people working at the soup kitchen be able to help hungry residents in their backyards, but they may have the chance to help mentor someone else working alongside them.

In our opinion, there is no better gift to the community than making sure that its most downtrodden are fed. With Christmas right around the corner, today is a perfect time to step in and make the lives of your neighbors a little better.

People interested in volunteering at The Stones Throw Family Kitchen can call (269) 782-0323 or visit thesteppingstoneback2basics.com.

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of General Manager Ambrosia Neldon and editors Scott Novak and Ted Yoakum.