Good thing we're not going away for Thanksgiving; Mrs R will be needed right here.

[Redstone]

She volunteers three days a week at the Food Kitchen / Pantry in our town. Since she started doing that earlier this year, she's seen the average number of "customers" each week increase from about 65 to about 130.

Today, she found out that the kitchen two towns away from us had done their Thanksgiving food distribution, and had OVER THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY PEOPLE show up. (This, in a town of 11,000 population.)

The kitchen / pantry where she volunteers will be doing their Thanksgiving food distribution next Tuesday, and they're expecting a similar avalance of people who can't afford to buy the food they need for a Thanksgivig dinner, so the kitchen will be well-appreciative of the fact that Mrs R will be there to work, becaus it will be All Hands On Deck that day, and her innate energy level will really help them out. I'll even try to go there to help if I am physically able to.

As much as we'd like to go to my cousin's house in Virginia for Thanksgiving, which we SWORE to the family that we'd do, it's going to be a better thing that we'll be here.

Times are hard, indeed. But, folks, if you have even a few dollars to spare, please try to help out your local Food Bank if you can. If we're seeing this unprecedented spike in people going to the Soup Kitchens here, on the (supposedly) wealthy Shoreline of Connecticut, it must be much worse elsewhere.

Help if you can, please. And if, on the other hand, you NEED help, don't be shy about going to your local Food Bank. Trust me, you will NOT be judged. The people who work at those Food Banks do so because they genuinely want to help others.

Redstone

[NanceGreggs]

1. A lovely reminder ...

... beautifully stated.

[Roon]

2. I went to the HIV food bank today to get our thanksgiving baskets

We got a bunch of goodies plus a turkey! Every thanksgiving and Christmas they give out special food. (Ham or a turkey) We got enough food to feed us for two weeks!

Oh, the point I wanted to make is, in the last few years the food bank has fewer and fewer options. It has really gotten lean.

[Redstone]

4. Here, we've seen the supply keep up with the demand, at least for now. Because, as I've

told Mrs R (who did not grow up in America), that the one thing that never changes, though good times or bad ones, is this: Americans, whatever other faults we might have as a populations, continue to be the single most generous group of people the world has ever seen.

Yes, the economy is bad, and everyone is suffering. But people STILL go to the Food Bank, and drop off whatever they can spare or afford to buy, unbidden, and the statement Mrs R hears from all of them is, "I want to do whatever I can do to help."

Remember any natural or other disaster that's happened anywhere in the world in your lifetime. What's been the immediate reaction from Americans, every single time? (I'm talking about idividual Aericans here, not the goverment.)

That reaction has ALWAYS been this: "What can I do to help?"

Every time. That's one of the things that has sustained my hope for my beloved country for these many years.

Redstone

[Roon]

5. Absolutely wonderful

Great post!

[Droopy]

3. Nice post, Redstone

I agree. We all need to pull together right now. We are just at the beginning of this recession and we should all try to pitch in if we can. Things probably aren't going to get any easier for a while.