Thanksgiving is a time for family, a time for gathering together and celebrating the things we have, the people we cherish, and all the things we are thankful for. The week prior to this Thursday is spent doling out grocery lists, assigning dishes to bring, contacting family members we haven’t spoken to since last Christmas, fighting the crowds at the grocery store, throwing elbows over the last turkey on sale for $.59/lb, and mapping out our Black Friday strategies. If you are the one (un)fortunate enough to be hosting the event you get to do all the aforementioned things as well as scouring your home from top to bottom, dragging out china and linen you haven’t used since last year, and polishing silver your Great Grandmother was “thoughtful” enough to give you.

Perhaps in the wake of all this “thoughtfulness” one might give pause and remember there are people out there that no longer have the ability to observe the traditions we all take for granted. While we are knee deep in sweet potato peels and turkey innards there are families that look forward to one thing and one thing only: The Great Thanksgiving Banquet at The Nashville Rescue Mission.

All day on the 23^rd and the 24^th the Rescue Mission will be staffed with hundreds of volunteers making sure those less fortunate don’t spend Thanksgiving being reminded of all the things they are without. A warm meal, a smiling face, and a helping hand might be the highlight of this person’s holiday season and it wouldn’t be possible without the volunteers that sacrifice those hours of family time, football watching, and grazing the leftovers of Aunt Martha’s homemade cranberry sauce for the rest of the day.

“It’s not just about serving them a traditional Thanksgiving meal,” says Don Worrell, President and CEO of the Nashville Rescue Mission. “This meal may be the first step in reaching a man or woman in the grip of addiction or other life-debilitating situation and guiding them down a new path.”

If you can’t donate your time, you can always donate your resources. The Nashville Rescue Mission has online services ranging from one time donations to monthly recurring payments, and even allows you to see if your employer will match your gift. There is a center for physical donations as well, taking clothing, electronics or food onsite.

This year, in the midst of the mayhem that surrounds the holidays, take the time to think of those without. Without food, without homes, without the support systems to enable them to escape their situations, whatever they may be. Take the time to think of them, and do something about it. Donate a couple hours of your time instead of hitting the stores at midnight, or a couple of dollars instead of that grande latte, and be thankful you made a difference.

Posted by:  Jennifer McClarney

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