Giving Thanks

As Thanksgiving is just around the corner in this whirlwind of a year, we wanted to take time to still give thanks for all of the good things in our lives. This year will undoubtedly be the most unusual Thanksgiving for most of us due to the fact that most people will not be traveling or gathering in large groups as they typically do on the average year. Although you may not be able to see all of the family you typically do, and may not get to have the celebration you normally have, it is important to remember all of the good things going on in the world right now.

We have a vaccine for COVID that is getting closer and closer to being available to the general public every day. We have states and cities working together harder than ever to enforce safety precautions to control the spread of this virus as much as possible. We hope that everyone holds their family close during this time, and are thankful for their health and well being. If anyone you know is sick, they are in our thoughts and we wish them a speedy and healthy recovery.

Giving Back

In true holiday spirit we wanted to give some of our recommendations for ways to give back, even in these unusual times. There are multiple different ways to help others. whether is volunteering, canned food drives, or merely just donating old winter cloths that do not fit anymore. We figured it would be helpful to share a few of our favorites here and hopefully inspire others to lend a helping hand.

First off we have The First United Methodist Church of South Bend Soup Kitchen. The Downtown Soup Kitchen, in South Bend, operates out of First United Methodist Church’s large restaurant-quality kitchen. Volunteers serve 200-300 guests each week, and assist with special holiday meal days for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, which average 300 guests per celebration. “Serving Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the doors open to guests at 11:30 a.m. Cooking begins at 7:30 a.m. where at least four to six huge pots of hearty soup are prepared with special recipes. Volunteer numbers increase as the morning progresses, acquiring the eight to 10 folks it takes to make the day run smoothly. Each day of the week has a different cook, supervisor and crew to prepare the different, written recipes. Volunteers are welcome.” You can click here to view their website and learn more about volunteering.

Next on our list is the Food Bank of Northern Indiana. The Food Bank is committed to developing and implementing strategies to alleviate hunger and ultimately affecting the overall health in each community we serve. There are multiple ways to get involved including staying informed on what they are doing, volunteering your time to help, and donating food. “Non-perishable food donations are always needed to help restock the Food Bank’s shelves. One can really does make a difference to those who struggle with hunger insecurity. When looking to make a food donation, think healthy, too.” to access the full list of requested food items, and find out more information about the Food Bank click the link here.

Last but certainly not least, we have donating cloths. As the winter months come upon us and it gets colder and colder, it is important we think of those who may not have a home or the proper articles of clothing to protect them from the cold. Goodwill is a well renowned charity organization across the country famously known for taking donated cloths and giving them to the less fortunate. “When you donate your new and gently used items, local Goodwill organizations sell them in stores or on shopgoodwill.com and use the revenue generated to provide valuable employment training and job placement services for people in your community. Generally, we recommend donating at donation centers staffed by attendants. In many cases, the items collected in bins often support for-profit groups, rather than aiding nonprofit, charitable organizations. To help you make informed donation decisions, we offer the following handy guide.” Read more about Goowill and find your nearest donation center here.

Thanksgiving Recipes We Love

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. This year people will not be traveling and meeting in large groups as they usually do. This could mean you are preparing more dishes or tackling a dish you haven’t made before! We figured we’d end this post off with some fun and easy recipes to make from a few different sites that we put together. We hope you find that perfect dish in one of these articles to bring to the table!

18 Five-Ingredient Thanksgiving Recipes

Holiday dishes don’t need to be fussy. Keep the shopping and cooking simple so you can enjoy the day. You don’t have to plan and cook for days to have a memorable Thanksgiving meal. These simple recipes call for just five ingredients or fewer (not including salt and pepper), so you can get dinner on the table and get to the best part: eating.

A Smaller But Still Festive Thanksgiving

How do you celebrate a holiday during a pandemic? How do you maintain rituals and traditions when you can’t safely be at the same table with the friends and family you traditionally celebrate with?2020 is the year of thinking outside the box. We need to reinvent the holidays, focusing on safety and health. But how do we safely find the pleasures that so many of us look forward to each holiday season? Read this article to find out more!