The following is a beautiful story of a community coming together to help the Latino community which is a big part of the wine making industry of Napa, CA.

Dear St. Nick: Thank you for taking this last-minute request. Since this newspaper is being distributed on Christmas Eve, it might not be too late to ask for a few gifts for St. Helena.

You’ve been good to St. Helena in the past, and you really shouldn’t feel obligated to give even more, but it would be great of you to pull a few more gifts out of that bag of yours to help St. Helena through 2009.

For example:

1. Shop owners, managers and customers working together with the Chamber of Commerce to help boost local businesses, regardless of whether they are local-serving or tourist-serving.

2. Residents, politicians, police, volunteer firefighters and nonprofit agencies working together to ensure the health and safety of all St. Helenans, young and old, Anglo and Latino, native and newcomer.

3. City, county, state and federal agencies working together with the general public to make sure shrinking public resources are collected fairly and used wisely, on community projects, big and small.

4. School officials from St. Helena, Pope Valley, Howell Mountain and Napa working together to make sure all schools are properly and fairly funded.

5. City councilmembers, planning commissioners, general plan committee members and city staff working together to chart the best possible future for St. Helena residents.

6. City and county public works and transportation officials working together to find solutions to local traffic, commuter and tourist-travel problems.

7. Wine, tourism and business interests working together to retain and perhaps grow Napa Valley’s share of visitor-related income.

8. Service clubs, nonprofit agencies and individual donors working together with agencies like the Community Foundation of Napa Valley to connect givers with those whose need is the greatest.

9. Vintners, growers, farmers and environmentalists working together to ensure that the Napa Valley retains is agricultural integrity and its environmental beauty.

10.     The people of this great area working together to discuss and debate ways to make a more perfect union among workers, employers, government and nonprofits.

One more thing, St. Nick. Please remember the hundreds of amazing community volunteers who always find a way to work together in a spirit of mutual cooperation. It would be great if each volunteer could be recognized with a little stocking stuffer this year.