Counting blessings!

Yesterday Brandon and I, joined by my mom and dad, and about 200 other volunteers at KARM, handed out Thanksgiving baskets and turkeys to the needy in our community. This is an event we have participated in for several years. Not only do you distribute the baskets and turkeys, but generally you help the recipients with these items back to their car. It gives you a chance to talk to the individual or individuals and connect on a more personal level. Sometimes you learn a little about their lives or what circumstances brought them to where they are today.

Working at Second Harvest we have seen such a shift in circumstances this year and this shift ties in directly with many of the stories I heard yesterday. ANYONE at any given moment can be just one pay check away from needing assistance. Whether it be an auto repair or medical bill, one week you can be fine and the next you might need a little help. Approximately 75% of the individuals we help at Second Harvest are working poor. People who get up each day, go to work, and do the best they can to support their families. And sometimes...that's just not enough.

There are many blessings in our lives. Ones that I hope I can learn to acknowledge on a regular basis. I am thankful for a husband who is supportive and makes me laugh, for a family that loves me regardless of my faults, and for friends who listen even when I babble! And I am thankful for the opportunity of service yesterday. I am grateful for the chance to connect with people I may not normally meet, for the fellowship of volunteers, and the gift of a family meal by KARM.

Please remember this holiday season how lucky we are for the blessings in our lives! And don't forget to tell those you love how much they mean to you!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!