Happy Thanksgiving

This year has clearly been difficult for a lot of people, and I'm just as guilty as the next person of grumbling every once in a while about the economy, the weather, or just about having a bad day. But for me, Thanksgiving is always the loudest wake-up call there is to remind me that even in tough times, there is so much to be thankful for. Sounds cliché, I know, but it's true! This year more than ever, I've been touched by the amount of people who give of their time, money, and other resources, to try to improve the lives of others. I've been blessed to have the opportunity to take people on tours of the different Twin Cities Salvation Army facilities, and I love watching the progression of tour guests as they are inspired to get involved in the work The Salvation Army is committed to doing.

Just in the last week I've talked to several families who have chosen to spend their Thanksgiving serving food to the hundreds of homeless people who don't have families to spend the holiday with, a school who held a Mitten Drive and collected over 150 pairs of mittens to keep people warm this winter, and a group of 13 Girl Scouts who collected bags and bags of food to donate to the food shelf at St. Paul Citadel Worship and Community Center. All of these people came to a tour, saw first-hand how much need exists in our community, saw what The Salvation Army is doing to help, and chose to be a part of that. Instead of getting discouraged by the dramatic increase in need we've seen this season, these people have chosen to do something about it, and they are my inspiration and encouragement this Thanksgiving.