Generous community continues to aid needy

It's Thanksgiving week which should give us all the annual opportunity to pause and reflect on the amazing blessings in our lives.

We can all tick off the collective blessings of family and health and a whole host of freedoms and opportunities that were highlighted during this election season.

I have consistently said Americans should pause each and every day to give thanks for the unique opportunities that this great nation affords.

And on a personal level, we can all recognize the blessings both large and small that are given to us every day.

It's also the time of year - along with the upcoming Christmas season - where we focus on the less fortunate. It's the time when we share our blessings with others in a genuine attempt to improve - if only temporarily - the lives of our friends and neighbors.

But instead of focusing on those in need, I want to take just a moment to focus on the generosity of others who reach out to those less fortunate.

I have had a unique opportunity to participate in countless programs in our community designed to help those in need. It would be hard to calculate the commitment of time and finances that Sikeston residents provide to their neighbors each year.

Many communities work to reach out to those in need this time of year and share with others the blessings to make their lives better if only for a moment.

And through my involvement with these programs, I have come to realize the generosity and commitment that abounds in our small community.

I am far from alone in this community recognition. Community leaders from nearby towns have always viewed Sikeston as a community willing to reach out to the less fortunate in a manner unseen by their communities.

Sikeston has a well-earned and accurate reputation for charity and generosity and compassion unequaled in our area.

That charitable reputation is the result of years and years of outreach to all residents in an honest and christian attempt to share with others this time of year.

The focus should always remain on those less fortunate who lack the resources to provide necessary food and clothing and the other necessities of daily life.

Yet it's equally as important to understand that those needs would not be met without the generous spirit and heart of Sikeston residents.

All too often we take for granted that efforts will be made each year to help those in need. But to achieve that goal takes effort and organization and a substantial commitment of time and energy and sacrifice.

No community of any size anywhere can always provide for the needs of their less fortunate.

But in Sikeston, if all of those needs are not met, it's not because of a lack of effort or dedication.

Michael Jensen