Thanksgiving is a time to give back and share with those around you and to be truly thankful for what you are blessed with. A favorite Thanksgiving memory of mine is a volunteer neighborhood dinner, clothes and food drive I use to help with.
Not everyone is able to have a Thanksgiving dinner and many are in need. Because of this, my church, First Wesleyan Church of Ypsilanti, hosted a neighborhood Thanksgiving dinner, clothes and food drive for a few years.
Together as a group we would volunteer our time to put together this busy day. There was so much food to go around and we turned an entire room into a clothing store and food pantry.
I would look forward to this volunteer day and end up spending from morning until night there. We only had a small space but we learned to utilize every inch of space.
When time came to open the doors it didn’t take long for the people to start arriving. We had put up flyers all over town and invited many people and even though I was expecting it, I was always blown away by how many people came.
I remember very clearly the excitement that was in the air. The people were shocked to see us willingly giving up our day off to provide them with a home cooked meal. It was always a good time for both the volunteers and the people coming.
I would volunteer to clean up the tables or to bring around the dessert trays. This way, I would be able to talk with different guests. The love and compassion the people felt was always expressed to me, and I loved talking with them.
The volunteers would greet everyone with a smile and were genuinely friendly – they made people want to be there. When the people left they went with bags full of clothing, canned goods and leftovers.
The place was so crowded, it was quite impressive to be able to turn around with a heavy dessert tray and not knock anything over. There wasn’t any break time or lull in the guests’ arrivals – it was an all-day busy day.
At one point we were trying to keep track of just how many people came, but we eventually gave up counting. There really was just no way to know just how many people had come and gone that day.
It’s been quite a few years since I helped at this Thanksgiving dinner and goods drive, but the impact of it is still with me. I realized just how much I had to be thankful for and just how blessed I truly was.
I loved working alongside friends and family volunteering to help make someone else’s
Thanksgiving special and memorable too. I am so glad I have the memories from that unique
volunteer work day to keep with me the rest of my life.
What are your favorite Thanksgiving memories or how have you given back to those in need? Leave a comment on The Eastern Echo Facebook page or tweet us on Twitter with the hashtag #SpiritofGiving.
