For the last several weeks, The Beachcomber has run a series of stories on some of the agencies and organizations on Vashon helping those who are in need. Called “Compassion in Action,” each story focused on one nonprofit, taking a look at what it offers up, for whom and why.

What we learned in doing these pieces is that there are a lot of people — both professionals and volunteers — who have given over their lives to such efforts. We found that Vashon, with its discrete boundaries and strong ethic of social justice, works hard to take care of its own.

It was sobering to learn the extent of the need and the degree to which some of these agencies are feeling the impact of statewide budget cuts. It was also deeply encouraging to see how they’re managing in spite of the financial turmoil — and to see the myriad ways Islanders have stepped up to support these vital efforts.

But need, of course, goes far beyond our boundaries, and much that is happening beyond our boundaries is affecting us here at home. As we approach the end of the year, when many Islanders review their giving and perhaps consider some final gifts for 2009, we urge Island philanthropists — those who give checks with several 0’s and those whose checks contain only one or two — to see the big picture and to remember the need to act both locally and globally.

Consider that new electric gadget under the Christmas tree. No doubt, it’s made with resources— nickel, silicon, copper, zinc — that come from some of the poorest nations in the world and that are extracted in ways that are exacting huge ecological costs.

Or consider some of the food that will adorn our holiday tables. Much of it comes from countries that are mowing down their native forests to keep up with our huge appetites in America, food that’s then shipped here in airplanes, with their high cost to the environment.

The Beachcomber is unapologetically local. It’s our job to report on the Island, its needs, its shortcomings and the collective strength of our human spirit. “Compassion in Action,” we believe, did just that: It underscored the generous spirit that seems to pervade our community.

But it’s also important to put Vashon into a larger context — and to remember that it’s not enough to simply take care of our own. As 2009 wraps up, take a moment to look around the world, to consider the heavy footprint nearly all of us make and to find ways to act both locally and globally. We’re in it together.