The words “peace on earth, goodwill toward men” carry extra weight during this time of year.

We all pray for peace and we all try to show goodwill toward others. Sometimes it helps to have a conduit for our kindness, and that is why The Evening News started Wish Book 10 years ago — to help connect people who want to help with those who need help.

This year, The Evening News is joining with New Hope Services Inc., which will help us identify families that are in need of a little cheer and assistance during the holidays. We will be profiling these families beginning Dec. 6 and we will let you know what their Christmas wishes may be.

In the past, our Wish Book families have faced struggles that many of us have never faced. And in these difficult economic times, families’ struggles are increasing.

Wish Book gives us a chance to help specific families in practical ways with money or merchandise.

As we tell you about Wish Book families this year, we’ll let you know what some of the specific needs and desires of these families might be. This could range from practical items such as dressers, beds, eyeglasses or clothes to toys to give the children of these families joy on Christmas morning.

We support and honor all the efforts in our communities to help families at Christmas and throughout the year. Wish Book is not designed to compete with any of these good works.

But Wish Book is designed to help specific families who find themselves in difficult situations at this particular time. Wish Book is not an Evening News or New Hope project. It is a community effort to rally to the side of families who need our help.

Our hope is to extend Wish Book beyond the holiday season and offer help to families at other times, such as back-to-school season. But for now, we want to help families for the holidays.

If you like would like to help families through Wish Book, please bring or mail donations to The Evening News, 221 Spring St., Jeffersonville, IN, 47130. Make checks out to Wish Book c/o New Hope Services. Look for the family profiles as they run in The Evening News and help as you are able.

— Jim Grahn is publisher of The Evening News. Reach him via e-mail at jim.grahn@newsandtribune.com