Thanksgiving 2009, Volunteer Work

We don't do Thanksgiving at my house. No sitting around a table with a huge turkey in the middle, no mashed potatoes or trimmings-- I don't even know what trimmings are?! We've never celebrated Thanksgiving. Not because we're against it but because my father always works on holidays; and my mom is always super busy with her business, which leaves her with no time to make a turkey or any of the other good stuff, and even if she did have the time; she wouldn't do it because she'd feel bad having a Thanksgiving dinner without my dad. So usually I will invite my family to go eat a day before (on my dad's day off) and we kind-a just lounge around on Thanksgiving.

Once I get my own place, I do plan on making this a tradition. I have promised myself to include this awesome tradition in my own home. :)

For this year, I decided to volunteer at a local park with H.A.N.D.S. On International. They organized a big thanksgiving feast at a local park. They set up tents and gave away a variety of things to those who need it-- food, of course (turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies, and even pie!), as well as clothing, there was also face painting for kids
and a book corner that gave kids free books.

I got to share this event with my sister, and it was an eye opening experience for her. We were placed in the clothing area, so we helped out sort out a lot of the donated clothing into different piles (women, men, kids), before the people arrived. Once they did, they received a plastic bag and got to choose any 10 items they wanted. The clothing was all used, very similar to what you'd find at a thrift store.

My sister was surprised to see a lot of young girls her age. She said to me, "they don't look homeless". She was amazed that these young girls looked a lot like her and appeared "normal", yet were in need of basic necessities like clothing and food. I think it helped fizzle out the steretype of what a "homeless" person looks like. I explained to her that humans have an inner drive to survive, and that by appearing to be "normal" is a reflection of that drive; but we never really know what lies beneath the surface.