Meals for the Hungry, Hope for the Homeless
November is a month of reminiscence; reflecting on all that we are thankful for, indulging in delicious meals, and sharing in laughter and love with friends and family. It is a month of preparing for the season of giving in the month that follows. November is also a flurry of activity at the Rescue Mission: volunteers spend hours cooking for the hundreds of hungry individuals pouring in from the cold, the community drops off coats and gloves to warm hands and hearts, and groups host holiday themed events almost every evening.
“To us, November is a month where we truly see the meaning of “thank you”.”
But I want to draw your attention to another important week in November, National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, which falls the week before Thanksgiving (this week in fact!). This week is dedicated to bringing awareness to the root causes of hunger and homelessness and how you can get involved. I find it interesting that HHAW is the week before the one holiday where it seems like no one could possibly go hungry. The truth…people do go hungry on Thanksgiving. An even bigger truth…hunger doesn’t end with Thanksgiving. This is why we run our annual Turkey Drive in the month of November. 100 turkeys will sustain the mission not only through the holidays, but provide nearly 5,000 meals to the hungry throughout the following year. If you are interested in helping us provide meals for the hungry, consider donating a turkey to the mission!
On the other hand, being homeless between the holidays likely means no family, no holiday celebrations, and no joy to share. Undoubtedly, the most important thing you can give during the holidays is YOU. By volunteering or spending even just one hour at the mission has the power to bring light to the darkness and inspire hope among residents. If you’ve never volunteered with us before, I encourage you to reach out to regular volunteers and I bet they will tell you stories that will make your heart smile. You can also reach us at 907-452-5343 to learn about the several different activities going on during the holidays.
Every day we see new friendships being formed, residents becoming family, and hope being restored in the hopeless. All of this happens because of YOU.
“So, thank you for everything, truly.”