“Autumn … the year’s last, loveliest smile.” –William Cullen Bryant
True gratitude is hard to come by. Sandwiched between the candy mongering of Halloween and the materialism that threatens to overtake Christmas, Thanksgiving can sometimes get buried under a deluge of Black Friday advertisements. It’s sad though, because Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. Folks in Flint, however, are staying true to the spirit of Thanksgiving by giving thanks in a practical way—through service.
Honestly, most of us are not worried about having enough money to buy our turkey. We forget, because we rarely interact with anyone outside of our privileged circles, that there are hungry people in the world: in Africa, in Haiti, in the United States—in Flint. This Thanksgiving, several local charitable organizations are offering free community dinners, not just for the needy, but for the community. If this holiday is merely a dreaded dinner which always turns into a family debacle, maybe it’s time to find out how good you have it: volunteer to help one of these meals happen, see how blessed you really are, and give thanks.
International Academy of Flint
Thursday, November 28, 11-1pm
2820 S. Saginaw Street
In addition to serving Thanksgiving meals, food will be given away that day.
Catholic Charities
Tuesday, November 26, 4-6:30pm
517 E. Fifth Avenue
