T he downturn in the economy has negatively impacted every level of our state and our region. Its chilling effects have touched every life here in the Valley.

As I witnessed during January’s floods, despite all the challenges and uncertainty, Valley residents are also creatively pulling together to help each other.

In this and recent issues of the Valley Record, we’ve told stories about locals doing their part and doing good in trying times.

There’s Kathy Brasch, a Valley woman who is helping to organize relief in times of disaster. We recently met Tom and Janis Kemp, who give their time to help truckers deal with life’s pressing issues at North Bend’s Truck Town. Then there’s the Snoqualmie Middle School teens who worked in wintry weather to plant trees in the local watershed to protect salmon. A number of folks in the local business community have also supported grassroots efforts at the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank to feed a client base that has almost doubled from a year ago.

There are many more stories like these out there, and we would like to tell them.

Here at the Record, we encourage our readers to share with us their positive stories about locals helping each other during tough economic times.

While many of those who do the most good in our community may not like to ‘blow their own horn’, the quiet example they or others set may inspire others to try new things or to simply reach out to help their neighbors in some way.

Send us your ideas and stories of people who have helped give others a hand up. Give us a call at (425) 888-2311, e-mail to editor@valleyrecord.com or stop by our office in historic downtown Snoqualmie at 8124 Falls Ave. S.E.

Ultimately, these stories will help and inspire us, and make for a stronger community.

After all, we are in this together.

• William Shaw is publisher of the Snoqualmie Valley Record. E-mail him at wshaw@valleyrecord.com