Your view: Giving thanks

Thanksgiving Day I was privileged to direct the feeding of hundreds of senior citizens who would have otherwise been without a Thanksgiving meal. First of all, I want to say how grateful I am to have been a part of the effort and secondly, I want to thank all those volunteers who worked tirelessly to serve and deliver those meals. To spontaneously give of yourselves, so that others may benefit, is the best of humanity.

I was overwhelmed by the donations of both food and gifts. While stories surfaced that people have been overtaxed by giving to the natural disasters that have occurred this community once again opened their hearts and their pocketbooks to give freely for no reason and for every reason because you felt the need. To those of you who donated to the meal, I am grateful for your generosity. Your heart can never run out. The more you give from the heart, the fuller it will be.

Beverly Baker started this meal a few years ago and I am grateful to her that I can now be a part of it. Early on she told me to turn everything over to God and step back and give Him control. She was right! "Never measure God's unlimited power by your limited expectations."

Worn out does not describe how I felt when I got home, but you know what? It was a feeling I wouldn't have missed for the world. I have had a warm fuzzy feeling enveloping me since Thanksgiving Day and I don't think it's likely to go away soon.

Thanks again to all the volunteers who gave up their day to help others. A special thanks to Linda Bollinger, whose organization of the delivery of the meals was astounding and to Judy McConnell for the monumental task of making the dressing. You all made a difference and the project could not have succeeded without you. All of you have touched those whose name, faces and circumstance you may never know. You have blessed not only those who received the meal, but everyone involved in the project itself.

May God bless each and every one of you,

Marlene Stevens, Coordinator