This Christmas Day is unlike any we have ever experienced in our lifetimes, and a holiday season like no other in our history. So many of our neighbors are experiencing food insecurity, homelessness, health concerns and loss, and it is heartbreaking.

Facing an overwhelming demand for services spurred by the coronavirus pandemic combined with operation limitations due to the health crisis, the organizations who serve these people in need are desperate for help.

Weekly readers have given generously to our annual Holiday Fund in years past, raising well over $1 million in the past 19 years.

This year, though many people face strained financial circumstances because of the pandemic, we hope those who can will support these nonprofits so they can do as much as possible to help local families and individuals now and long after the pandemic subsides.

Since the Pleasanton Weekly and its Holiday Fund partner, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, cover all the administrative costs of the initiative, every dollar raised goes directly to this year's nonprofit beneficiaries.

If the holiday spirit is urging you to help deserving organizations provide assistance to people who are struggling, go to pleasantonweekly.com/holiday_fund. To contribute via mail, see our instructions on Page 8 of this week's print edition.

This year's Holiday Fund recipients that will share in fund contributions are:

Axis Community Health is the Tri-Valley's sole provider of medical and mental health services for individuals and families who have a low income or who are uninsured. It serves more than 15,000 members of our community.

CityServe of the Tri-Valley supports the community by caring for people in crisis, coordinating resources between the faith-based community, nonprofits, schools, businesses and government agencies and connecting volunteers in the community to nonprofits.

Hope Hospice provides ethical hospice care, transition services for those not eligible for hospice, bereavement support for adults and children and end-of-life education to Tri-Valley families, regardless of insurance or income status.

Open Heart Kitchen is the largest hot meal program of its kind in the Tri-Valley, feeding the hungry every weekday at multiple locations.

Valley Humane Society rescues and rehabilitates companion animals, champions responsible caretaking, shares pets' soothing affections with people in need of comfort, and supports and preserves existing pet guardian relationships.

ValleyCare Charitable Foundation plans to use its contribution from the annual campaign to help fund state-of-the-art healthcare technology, facilities, various clinical programs and services at Stanford Health Care-ValleyCare.

Merry Christmas from the Pleasanton Weekly staff.