I’ve been thinking about this for some while. I don’t care our table will be an enforced just us, I do care about those who are experiencing a different kind of circumstantial just me / just us
In past years, I have prepared cooked and meals for the homeless on our streets.
Last year, on TG and Christmas, my kids drove around and distributed 40+ hot, home cooked meals.
My elderly neighbor is alone and I’ve often invited her to our table. This year, while I will deliver dinner to her, for her sake and ours, I won’t be inviting her to join us.
Our mail carrier always picks up and delivers bags of canned & pre-packaged foods for the food banks this year there’s none of that.
My kids school has served low income families for 20+ years, this year, the food and toy drives were cancelled
What about the service people who may not receive the invitations they may have in the past or the families who have fallen on unexpected hard times, or the lonely old lady…etc… due to this pandemic?
The good answer - IMO - is that there are ways for these things to still happen - the toy drive, the food drive, etc. - they can be done safely but it takes some effort.
Are we willing to put forth the effort? I’ve actually seen several FB posts on neighborhood groups of someone looking to sponsor a family and how to find one to support. I think this is a great idea.
The situation where someone is alone? I hate that this happens. Again, someone like you looking out for your neighbor. We need “LOTS” of neighbors like you who will leave a dinner or even a card on someone’s porch who may be alone.
Thank you for reminding me. I have a neighbor a couple doors down who I will do something for.
Our community hosts a big thanksgiving dinner for the poor. It usually brings in a several hundreds of people. This year they are still doing it but it will be in to go boxes and bags. Not the same, but still better than nothing.
One of the main churches in town always serves Thanksgiving dinner, this year it is delivery or pick up. We are having our community Thanksgiving service tomorrow night and it is our church’s turn to host. I’m not sure how many will come and I might not go just because my Dad said he isn’t going and Mother probably isn’t, and I don’t want to go by myself. The kids are with their father this weekend and who knows whether they will go, but they would be sitting with him if they do go.
As far as I know they are still doing the Angel Tree and the Lion’s Club is still doing their Christmas project where they provide coats and shoes for needy children. We also have 2 or 3 local churches with food pantries and/or provision closets that open at least once per month. There is also a local facebook page Rescue town name where people can post items to give away or people can post if they are in need of something.
It is a small town (about 3,500) but there is really no reason for anyone in our area to go hungry or not have clothes, having everything you want is a different story. I do worry about those who might be alone for Thanksgiving, there are a lot of elderly and also lots of people battling cancer in my area who might not be able to be with friends/family.
Presently we are still planning on a TG of 6 plus toddler. Me, H, S, D, son-in-law, and my sister. This could still fall through. We have all pledged to be in NO CONTACT with anyone for at least the last two weeks. And two members who had a two week out contact are getting tested, just to be sure.
If it falls through, five of us – my H and me, my S, my D and her family, will be fine. We have our own people (S lives with GF, who’s been similarly quarantined and going to her family’s TG.) We won’t be alone.
But my sister is very alone since mom died. She’s got mental illness, has been very, very alone–lives a couple hours away. I know this can still be called off and I dread how much that will hurt her. I don’t have a good answer, and I just hope we can all agree we have cut out any possible line of transmission so we can meet.
We’ve already had to eliminate my brother, who is also alone, but works out of home and has other contact. I feel guilty about him, but can’t change this.
I love the idea of sending (or delivering) cards to your neighbors who will be alone. How nice to have a happy, tangible note that you are thought of and people care!
I waited too long to rent a car to visit DD 1.5 hours away from my apartment in Brooklyn, and since DD is a struggling first-year medical student, I know she’s not coming here. When I asked her what she was doing for Thanksgiving, she said, “Studying.” Since there will be nothing worth watching on TV, I will have lots and lots of time to catch up on my documentation as a therapist working for an agency. Looking forward to working Friday, all caught up! And I rented a car for Sunday to visit DD.
My niece has been staying with me since Labor Day (was waiting tables and bartending at a fancy Manhattan restaurant with outdoor seating) but she’s leaving on Tuesday to go home to her mom.
One of my clients invited me to her mother’s house for Thanksgiving. I was touched, but of course I can’t go.
Food and toy drives are still happening where I live (Maryland suburbs).
For the last 15 or so years, we have participated in a Holiday Share program delivering food/supplies for Thanksgiving and food/supplies & gifts for Christmas. For Thanksgiving this year, they decided to have meals picked up from our church instead of delivered. However, we and and about 10 other long time volunteers were asked to deliver to those who were unable to pick up. Our family’s list included 12 families that we delivered turkeys and bags of supplies to this morning.
Yesterday when I was picking up books curbside at my library, there was an organization set up in the parking lot doing a drive thru meal pickup.
My kids’ high schools have both been collecting donations this year for both Thanksgiving and Christmas for organizations they work with every year.
The pandemic has changed the way certain organizations are operating this year, but the ones we are involved with are doing their best to still provide for the populations they typically serve.
@melvin123 someone I know who owns a printing business just sent me a big bag of notecards with a variety of designs as a thank you for something I did. Upon receipt, I decided that I am going to spend my free time (of which I currently have a lot!) sending notes to friends and family who I know are alone and/or lonely. Who doesn’t love an unexpected handwritten note in our tech-driven world?
I’ve been working with a family involved in the foster care system. The baskets were a little pitiful (not much in them), but they gave me 3 because it is a big family.
I also saw on TV that the big give away (started by a man who is long gone but the event continues) happened today and their boxes looked a LOT bigger than mine, and they gave away 10,000 rather than 5000. The issue is that these boxes require the family to have a kitchen to cook a thanksgiving dinner - it’s just the raw ingredients. Same with many of the food bank give-a-ways; they give a lot of food, but most has to be refrigerated/frozen, and then cooked. Plus you have to pick it up in a car as they are now drive thru, contactless pick up.
I think they are still doing the dinners at the Volunteers of America and there is often a big meal downtown (outside) for homeless.
All the metro counties went to Level Red yesterday, so no eating in restaurants, just pick up and delivery. Can’t treat someone to a restaurant meal of TG unless they have somewhere to eat it.
USPS is having an operation Santa online where folks can “adopt” letters and fulfill wishes, delivering wrapped gifts and money to post office for delivery. Both writer and donor remain anonymous.
Food pantries and churches are giving our food as often as they can in our community.