Thanksgiving: A different view

13»

Replies

  • mahanaibu
    mahanaibu Posts: 505 Member
    In our town, they have a wonderful tradition that dates back about 20 years now: There's a community Thanksgiving potluck. It used to be in a local park (I live in Southern California) but now it's inside a local church. Everyone comes, and people who are lucky enough to have home and food prepare a dish for the feast, but all are welcome. The homeless dine with the middle class and the affluent, and there's more than enough good food for everyone. People volunteer to serve, and with the leftovers, they make bag lunches for the homeless to take with them.

    It's a funny thing when you think of it. It's so much less trouble to make just one very large dish to bring than it is to give even a small thanksgiving at home. It's much less expensive. And yet there are such mountains of many different kinds of food. It shows what can happen when a community works together and everyone contributes what he or she can: There is more than enough for everyone.

    Unfortunately, after it moved to the church, it felt less festive and more like a soup kitchen. My kids asked to have dinners at home instead, so I bring a huge salad to the community feast, but we eat at home as a family. Still, I feel torn about it. I'm thinking in future years we might do our dinner at home on Fridays so that we can still be part of an avent with bigger meaning on Thanksgiving Day.
  • ElsaVonMarmalade
    ElsaVonMarmalade Posts: 154 Member
    I do not disagree with your sentiment in any way, but it is not true that 17% of Americans are homeless. Less than 1% of Americans are homeless, and it's probably close to .5%. Still too many people - but not anywhere near the number you cite.

    http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2012/HUDNo.12-191
  • annekka
    annekka Posts: 517 Member
    Amen to everything said, from this American expat living 1/2 a world away from her family today and who desperately wishes she could be home with them and not working.

    Happy Turkey Day, all!
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I do not disagree with your sentiment in any way, but it is not true that 17% of Americans are homeless. Less than 1% of Americans are homeless, and it's probably close to .5%. Still too many people - but not anywhere near the number you cite.

    http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2012/HUDNo.12-191

    The most recently available national data are from the January 2012 point-in-time count. This count identified
    633,782 people experiencing homelessness on one night in January 2012. That's a rate of 21 homeless people per 10,000 people. You're right that I was off, but 2% is still far too high. Let's not argue details, today is about being thankful. It's also only one day.

Categories