What an appropriate time of year to be reminded that joy comes in the giving.

Volunteers are nearing completion of a new home for the Landa family in Griswold. David Landa, then 48, was injured in a swimming acident in the summer of 2008, leaving him a quadriplegic. Then this past summer a fire destroyed the family home. Kyle Landa, who had pulled his father to safety after the swimming accident, again acted heroically, pulling his dad from the burning house and sustaining significant burns in the process.

Local volunteers, many having participated in the construction of a new home for another family that faced tragedy - the Girards in Voluntown, who experienced the death of a father and son in a swimming accident, just months after their home burned - came together to help the Landas.

The Girard project last year was done in a week to meet the requirements of an episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

Though the Landa rebuild on Bethel Road is being done in more traditional fashion - over several months - it faced its own challenges, chiefly not having the lure of TV coverage to attract donations and volunteers. And this home had to be designed to meet Mr. Landa's special needs.

But the volunteers say any of the sacrifices they made will be worth it when the new home is revealed to the family on Dec. 4 in time for the holiday season.

What a beautiful gift.