Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  When the Nederland Community Center doors opened at 9 a.m. on Saturday, many local families received the help that would make their holidays a bit brighter.

The Nederland Community Food Pantry and a team of volunteers invited at least 125 families to receive a food basket, gift certificates to local grocery stores, toys, clothes and hand knit mittens and scarves from the Ned Knits.

Local Boy Scouts helped carry the boxes and bags of food, the soccer balls, the kites, the stuffed animals and games and the jackets; when the packages were loaded into the car, the boys clambered on top of the empty cart and rode it, careening from side to side, down the hill, looking like a Norman Rockwell painting.

Kylie Hallisey helped kids find a toy suitable for them. She said her family has been gathering donated toys for distribution since 1998, and she has helped out for the past six years.

Outside, snowflakes drifted over the mountains, glistening like diamonds in the air.

The volunteers met smiles of happiness as they offered the food and gifts that would bring joy to local homes.

One parent held back tears as she described how she had been looking for a way to buy safety helmets for her two boys and she found just what she was looking for at the holiday event.

Even in a small mountain town, Santa has many helpers making sure that there will be food on the table and a gift or two under the tree.