You can't truly serve a community unless you provide the help it needs most, which is why giving back is so important to us here at Patch.

We volunteer as part of our coverage with a program called "Give 5," through which we donate advertising space to charitable organizations and contribute our own time as volunteers.

Today, ten of our intrepid reporters and editors will volunteer their time at the St. Louis Crisis Nursery in St. Charles. We'll hold and change babies, toss the ball around with the bigger kids and help the social workers on staff to manage their daily chores.

The Crisis Nursery houses, feeds, clothes and cares for children whose parents or guardians are temporarily unable to do so. They are coming from crisis, and the nursery is a place for them to re-group and feel special.

The Crisis Nursery is a vital resource here in the St. Louis region. The nursery blogs for Patch about child safety issues, and you can read one of their blog posts here.

For more information about volunteering with the Crisis Nursery, go to their website.

To see more Patchers engaged in Give 5 volunteer days, check out our stories about pulling weeds and hauling mulch at Cardinal Ritter Senior Services in Shrewsbury or running a concession stand at Busch Stadium to raise money for Haven House.

If you know a group or cause that could use our help, email give5@patch.com