By Karen Axelton

87463969As the holidays are getting nearer, we’re all thinking about ways to give back. I thought this article in Fortune Small Business was one of the most heartwarming things I’ve read. It spotlights five small-business owners who all found ways to help unemployed people. A drycleaner offers free suit drycleaning for people getting ready for a job interview; a salon gives them free haircuts.

“In our 16 years of innkeeping, this has been the most satisfying effort we have ever done,” the article quotes Leslie Mulcahy, who with her husband, Brian, owns the Rabbit Hill Inn. They sponsored a “Pink Slip Giveaway Getaway” drawing where people who’ve been unemployed over six months had the chance to free two-night stays.

I don’t know any small-business owner who isn’t struggling financially right now, so reading about how entrepreneurs are reaching out to help others despite tough times is inspiring.