WHAT CAN YOU DO BETTER THIS THANKSGIVING TO APPRECIATE THE BLESSINGS IN YOUR LIFE?
After almost 400 years since the very first Thanksgiving feast at Plymouth Colony, today we have no less cause for celebration and giving thanks for the bountiful blessings that enrich our lives. Still, there seems to be a growing tendency to center the holiday planning and celebration spending exclusively on a lavish dinner menu complete with elaborate table decorations and then somehow turn into a couch potato watching an NFL football game on TV for the rest of the day … completely overlooking the basic “thanks” part of Thanksgiving. Have you ever wondered how you might do things differently this year for a happier result? Perhaps expanding your view of the holiday to include opportunities to help less fortunate people in need would be a first step. Consider some the suggestions below. Maybe these ideas will expand your Thanksgiving horizon.
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>>> Help provide holiday dinner for the less fortunate <<<
In the spirit of the season one very direct hands-on opportunity to help individuals in need would be to participate in a neighborhood effort to provide Thanksgiving dinner for the less fortunate. Contributing cash? Collecting food items? Donating your time? All of these options, perhaps on behalf of an organized community or church program, are especially valuable this time of year. Some local efforts are designed to deliver groceries to the needy recipients’ homes while others are organized around a communal dining site where even the homeless may participate. Still other programs are website based. Helping to make Thanksgiving a wonderful event for other people through volunteering can create a very meaningful Thanksgiving Day for you and other members of your family. If you’re flexible about the role you’re prepared to take on, then you might just find yourself indispensable for the day.
How can I locate the right volunteer opportunity?
The following organizations can provide details about a variety of opportunities:
Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency, helps more than 5 million Americans improve the lives of their fellow citizens through service by working hand in hand with local partners. You can search for specific opportunities at the website: http://www.nationalservice.gov/
Family-to-Family, a nonprofit national coalition, can connect you with an individual family in need year round and also offers various options specifically for the holiday season. Consider Stuff a Turkey/Stuff a Shirt or Thanksgiving Turkey Drive among the many projects available through their website: http://www.family-to-family.org/
Meals on Wheels America can allow you to volunteer with a local program to deliver a hot dinner to those who may not be able to join family or friends. Find your closest participating program at: http://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/signup/find-programs
The National Coalition for the Homeless provides opportunities to volunteer at a homeless shelter to prepare and dish up a meal for those without a home. For a nationwide directory of facilities you can visit the website: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/
U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers many opportunities to volunteer in person at a government facility where where you might serve as an escort greeter, transport patients or perform other duties. Find details at their website: http://www.volunteer.va.gov/
The Salvation Army may be best known for their bell-ringing Santas manning the collection kettle at Christmas time; however, this organization may also provide meals for those in need at a nearby local shelters. Find details along with other programs and opportunities to give for the holiday and beyond on the website: http://salvationarmyusa.org/
Any Soldier, Inc. gives you a chance to demonstrate your thankfulness toward troops who may be away from family this Thanksgiving. Create and send a care package following directions at their website: http://anysoldier.com/index.cfm
To locate even more local opportunities, you might consider contacting a nearby church or house of worship, a social service agency or your county health/welfare department. There may be advertisements in your community newspaper or online at sites such as Craigslist asking for people to help out on Thanksgiving.
PRECAUTIONS:
- Call ahead before bringing your children along to an event such as helping to serve dinner at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Some organizations do not allow minors to serve food or enter restricted areas because of safety regulations (e.g., sharp objects in the kitchen, danger of being burned at steam tables).
- If you plan to contribute home-made edibles, beware of the potential for food allergies and/or dietary restrictions. If you are volunteering outside the home, check in advance for any rules or guidelines and carefully follow those instructions.
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>>> Visit people in need <<<
Call local hospitals or nursing homes. Ask if there might be a resident who needs company on Thanksgiving or if there are other things you can do to make the day more pleasant and enjoyable for residents or patients there. You might talk with them, sing, perform or help serve the meals. If you’re asked to stay around for the meal, engage everyone near you in conversation and ask them about their experiences of previous Thanksgivings to help break the ice.
It can be especially rewarding to volunteer at a home for the aged. Elderly residents may be more lonely than usual around the holidays if they have nowhere to go or aren’t up to leaving their home. By volunteering at a home for the elderly, you might find yourself doing anything from decorating the home to make it look more festive to helping cook and distribute the Thanksgiving meal. Giving your time and spending some time with the elderly to cheer them up and ask how they’re doing is also a great way to volunteer. Many people feel extra lonely on the holidays, and you can make a big impact.
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>>> Be part of a fundraiser <<<
Inquire in your city or town (perhaps ask at a government office or community newspaper) about fundraisers such as marathons or other activities (e.g., Turkey Trot, Thanksgiving Hustle, Turkey Day Run) which raise money to help families in need on Thanksgiving. If you cannot afford to pay an entry fee, ask about volunteering your time to the event instead.
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>>> Organize an activity to share reasons for gratitude <<<
Right at your own home in the company of friends and family you can invite all of your guests, from grandpa to preschoolers, to reflect on the reasons each of them can be thankful for good things in life — everything from arrival of the first grandbaby or successful recovery from illness to good profits in business or even a well-baked pumpkin pie. Blessings are abundant. The more we focus on a reason to be thankful, the more we can share our joy with those we love best. Consider incorporating some of these suggestions into your family’s holiday observance:
- If you say grace at your meal — or even if you don’t — before passing the first serving dish, invite each guest to mention a personal reason for thankfulness to share with the group seated at your table.
- Make a toast before the meal. and ask everybody to join in. Raise your glass with a reason to celebrate.
- At the entrance to your dining room prominently display index cards and pens beside a big bowl. Ask each guest to write one or two reasons for feeling thankful for blessings of the previous year and drop all the cards into the container. After dinner pass around the collection bowl and have each guest draw out a card and read it. Ask the rest of the guests to guess who wrote each card.
- Cover your table with a plain white cloth and invite your guests to autograph the cloth, write the date and include a reason for being thankful. Remove the cloth before you begin to serve food and save it to re-use in following years. As time goes on, you will accumulate a legacy of precious memories on the tablecloth.
- Place a note card under everybody’s plate with a conversation-starting question written on it (e.g., “What is your happiest Thanksgiving memory?” “Describe your all-time favorite holiday gift.” “Which one blessing are you most thankful for today?” “What might you have missed if you hadn’t lived this last year?”), and go around the table to share answers. It might sound a little corny, but you will probably be surprised to see how well your guests respond.
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In future posts PUT THE “THANKS” BACK INTO THANKSGIVING will look at the traditional Thanksgiving menu and search for healthy, nutritious alternatives that can add yet another reason to be thankful: high-level wellness for family and guests.
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