Big sales here, door busters there — holiday deals pull our attention and pocketbooks in every direction this time of year. But it’s especially important to remember small businesses and local charities during the holiday season.

Think about the economic fortunes of Washington and Belhaven. Almost everyone agrees that the renovations and updates in downtown Washington are a good thing. Likewise, no one would disagree that Belhaven’s vibrant assortment of downtown shops and merchants is critical to that town. But it takes the buy-in of local people to keep these small-town economies afloat.

Consider also the impact your dollars have. For a national big box chain, a $100 sale is a drop in the bucket when considering profit margins in the millions or billions of dollars.

Now think about that same $100 spent at a small business or donated to a local nonprofit. For a local merchant, that can go a long way toward keeping the lights on and the doors open during the slow season. As a popular online posting says, “When you buy from a small business, an actual person does a little happy dance.” That actual person, in this case, is a friend, a neighbor, a community member.

For a nonprofit, that $100 gift can feed a family for weeks, or pay for a month of afterschool services for a child in need. Maybe it will help stop someone from resorting to crime to meet their basic monthly budget. Any charitable donation, big or small, can do wonders for local people in need who might genuinely suffer without.

So as you check out the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year, be sure to put a little bit aside for Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday. In doing so, you will be making a difference in the lives of real people, right here in our community. There is no greater gift that a person can give.