Although many of us of us are affected by the current economic doldrums, the Maryland Transit Administration Police are raising the bar to challenge those of us who are able to take care of ourselves and our families.

Recently, 15 families at Northwood Elementary School in Baltimore City benefited from the generosity of the MTA Police. Under the leadership of Officer Stan Smith and with their own money, these officers gave these families among the best holiday seasons ever. Every wish list of every child was filled with major gifts such as bicycles, computers, Wii video game systems, art supplies, clothing, scooters, athletic equipment, dolls and games. The joy was palpable. Several parents were moved to tears. The next day, I donated to two of my favorite organizations.

While members of Congress are slogging it out over whether to extend a 2 percent payroll tax cut to millions of working Americans or preserve "temporary" Bush tax cuts to the multimillionaires and billionaires among us, the MTA Police rose above it all to make personal sacrifices to give to those less fortunate.

It should inspired all of us to do the same.

Sarah Levitas, Baltimore

The writer is a school social worker at Northwood Elementary School.