A Thanksgiving with a lot of "giving"

It's kind of bittersweet, knowing that this is my last "Thanksgiving Vacation." The so called "real world" is quickly approaching and graduation is around the corner! Nonetheless, I enjoyed my Thanksgiving and I must say that it was the best and most productive one I've had in my life.

About a week or so before the break began, I knew I wanted to do something different this year on Thanksgiving Day. As much as I enjoy my mother's cooking (and boy do I enjoy it) I felt as though I could do something more than eat and then pat my stuffed belly at the conclusion of the meal. I wanted to do something more... for those who needed more.

Photo courtesy of warrentonumc.org

I left my house in the morning and began a different kind of Thanksgiving with my other church friends. Our first stop was our church, which had free hot meals available for individuals in the neighborhood. We filled numerous aluminum containers with food and placed them into plastic bags which also included juice, utensils and a Christian pamphlet. We stacked them all into two large cardboard boxes, packed them in the church van and a total of just seven of us set out to Harlem, New York.

We stopped by a shelter for runaway teens and dropped off desserts. The founders of the organizations were so happy that we were able to stop by.

After driving a few blocks down Amsterdam Avenue, we got out the van and the ladies grabbed one box, while the guys held the other, and we split up into two groups and went around trying to spot those who were in need of a Thanksgiving meal. It wasn't hard at all. The minute we got out of the van, a man saw us and began eyeing all food within the plastic bags, asking if we were distributing them. He and a man nearby were very grateful as we handed them each a bag. One of them even pointed across the street stating that there was a man in a wheelchair that would be appreciative of it.

The men that were with us beat us to the man in the wheelchair--who also accepted the food gratefully. My two friends and I carried on down the block, and stumbled across some individuals who were either alone or with someone else. Whether it was the man who was alone, leaned up against the wall in his over-sized coat and surrounded by his shopping cart and black garbage bags of belongings or the man that dug through a nearby garbage can in search of his next meal or a few valuables--they all accepted our hearty smiles and warm meal.

The most touching part was the reaction of a group of three individuals--two males and a female. The gratitude of the woman was beyond words can express.


"Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!" She exclaimed with tears in her eyes. She was sitting down and looked up at her two friends who accepted the bags of food from us. She took her own and raised her hand to her chest, hovered over her heart. "God Bless you! This is a great thing you're doing," she said.

As we departed, they immediately began eating the food.

Photo courtesy healthwise-everythinghealth.blogspot.com

Our box was empty as we made our way back to the church van. We met up with the others and their box was empty as well. I really wished we had more food to hand out, but we all felt the same--satisfied and full of joy.

The feeling I felt on our ride back to the Bronx was indescribable. The experience made me realize that I should be doing things like this way more often. The percentage of volunteers that step up to the plate on Thanksgiving increases phenomenally... but what about the other 364 days?

When I arrived home, I was able to enjoy my dinner fully and spend some much needed time with my family. I was so thankful for everything in my life and just so appreciative of the opportunity that I had to bless strangers in this way for the first time. I'm definitely looking forward to volunteering again, in the near future.