Thanksgiving Community Outreach: Opportunities to Share and Care

As we gather around the Thanksgiving table at grandma's house and partake of the bountiful array of food, we pause to give thanks for the blessings that God has bestowed upon us and our loved ones. Thanksgiving is a time of reflection and for me my thoughts turn to how I can reach outside of myself to share God's goodness. For several years, our church has reached out to those individuals who could use a helping hand and encouraging word.

Every November on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, our church sponsors a Thanksgiving Outreach for residents in our community. The intended purpose of the Thanksgiving Outreach is to show Christian compassion and care to our community. Weeks before the event clean, fashionable clothing is collected and sorted to be given free to any resident who desires clothing for their families. Clothes ranging in sizes from infants to adults are neatly hung on racks, new and slightly worn shoes are prominently displayed. After selecting their clothing, the attendees are invited to participate in a Thanksgiving dinner cooked by church members. The church basement is charged with a flurry of activity as individuals carefully consider and select the items they need. Church volunteers serve as personal shoppers to the residents to assist our shoppers to find a particular item or size.

After the shoppers have made their selections, the items are carefully bagged and put aside while the shoppers enjoy a delicious home cooked traditional Thanksgiving meal prepared by the church members. Church members donate their time, money and love in preparing and serving the meals throughout the day. Roasted turkeys and all the trimmings have been cooked by church members while the rest of the meal is prepared by the Hospitality staff. During the meal times, church members mingle and sit with the community participants to share an inspirational and encouraging word. We do not know the scope of everyone's needs but it is our desire to offer hope and guidance in a time of instability and uncertainty in their lives.

Every half hour, the volunteers stop, bow their heads as they are led in prayer asking that God would bless our outreach to our community residents to help us show God's love, patience and compassion. Prayers are offered for the families that have come to the Thanksgiving Outreach Dinner. Many of the participants have experienced and are living with social problems including inadequate income, educational deficits and broken families. The enormity of the problems they face are often staggering but through spiritual counseling and compassionate caring, many recognize their need to have a relationship with God who is able to surmount and meet all of our needs.

Giving is a ministry that never leaves you empty. As you draw upon your reservoir of blessings, God graciously replenishes and supplies your needs. The experience has been a life changing experience and has caused me, personally to review and look within myself to determine if I can do more to help others. I respectfully recommend that we all seek opportunities to serve and give. Volunteer at a local mission, a daycare center, donate monthly to food pantries, help local social service agencies that work with the underserved and underprivileged. Visit websites of various organizations for more in depth information. In giving of ourselves, we learn firsthand that truly it is more blessed to give than to receive.