by Curt Kovener 
By now many of us are beginning to commence to initiate the preliminary cooking for tomorrow’s feast. Pitch-in dinners and family gatherings will be pretty much standard fare as will turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and desserts of pecan pie, persimmon pudding and pumpkin pie.
Some of us get wrapped up in the planning, preparation and management of the meal. Some of us get to deal with merely the anticipation of all the good tasting food. And some look forward to the warmth a family gathering generates.
But throughout all the preparation, the gorging of our gut, the afternoon snoozes and the too infrequent thoughts of those blessings for which we are to be thankful, remember that there are some folks in our own community that lack family, adequate nutrition and those warm & cozy feelings we come to expect from Thanksgiving.
Single parent/single income households have a difficult time. Living paycheck to paycheck means that a major car repair or medical emergency can force a decision between paying the electric bill, gas bill or eating this month. Area seniors sometimes are overlooked during the holidays as extended families look inward. Sometimes it is difficult to be thankful when you are dining alone thinking that no one cares.
That’s sometimes where our local food pantry and the Crothersville FFA food drive have been able to lend a helpful hand of support.
The Crothersville First Baptist Church collects and stores away some non-perishable food to give to area families in crisis. The FFA provides Christmas food and fruit baskets to area residents whose holiday may not be as cheerful otherwise.
Whether you choose to do your part for the year-round food pantry or the local FFA’s holiday cheer drive, it really doesn’t matter. What is important is that we do our part to provide for those who may not be having their basic needs met and sharing a caring hand to those who may be forgotten this holiday season.
As you quietly unbuckle your belt after eating too much tomorrow, count your blessings and think of how you might be able to share your bounty with others.
Non-perishable food and cash contributions are always welcome by both groups. Make a donation to either cause and you’re guaranteed to feel a little better, a little warmer, a little more caring going into this holiday season.
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“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
