President’s Message: November 2024
Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful and share your abundance with others. It comes at the end of the harvest season, that is why a cornucopia is often a symbol of the holiday. Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation on October 3, 1863, trying to lay a foundation of peace during the height of the Civil War, “To set apart and observe the last Thursday of October as a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in heaven.”
Building foundations throughout history, whether for a home or a nation, benefits many. Akilah Watkins, president and CEO of Independent Sector, said, “When you volunteer, you help hold up the foundation of civil society.” Have any of you thought that the work you do for the Assistance League is helping to build a better foundation for thousands of children in our community? Some synonyms for foundation are bedrock, groundwork, support and underpinning. You are keeping children warm on these cold winter night, feet dry as the rainy season begins, contributing to children having new clothes, instead of hand me downs, providing them with a book of their own to read at bedtime, and opening doors to their futures with scholarships.
Volunteering is a two way street of thankfulness, the children gain better pathways for learning and according to research in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, gives us a boost in our physical and emotional health.
So, this Thanksgiving I hope you have the time to thank those people who are special in your life and take a moment to think about all the things you find time to do to make life better for others and, thank yourself for contributing to a stronger foundation for your family, friends and community.
I am thankful for all of you and all you do.
Cheryl McGlocklin
President
posted November 24, 2024
