Give something back

Residents of Wellington County will soon be sitting down to celebrate the traditional Thanksgiving feast. Ham, turkey, potatoes, dressing, fresh vegetables, and dessert will be had until someone in the family mumbles about being too full.

The scene of bounty and the smells of plenty makes Thanksgiving special for most of us. Family surrounding the table gives many of us who are on such busy schedules time to get caught up with each other’s lives.

But for the vulnerable and those people who maybe have not yet got it together economically, there will be little feeling of abundance and plenty. As we have lamented before in previous editorials, the struggle of the destitute goes unnoticed for the most part. Even with a full blown election underway in the province, little in the way of relief has been discussed. Certainly housing policy, upgrades to benefit programs, and more proactive health programs for the poor are not headline News. Instead, time is spent on education and transportation.

Today the talk is native land claims and beer in the corner store, which hardly make a dent in the social issues of concern to many of us.

Many times, the best solutions to these problems, is a neighbourhood solution. Church groups, service clubs, and in this case the food banks of Wellington County, have great opportunities for people that want to give something back.

The Centre Wellington Food Bank will be collecting again this year and hopes to take advantage of the goodwill Thanksgiving seems to bring out in people. Those in Arthur, Mount Forest, and Drayton will also be looking for donations. With luck, generous donations can be sorted and used to help out the many families that need a hand up through the year. Give lots, give often, and be thankful for your family this year. There are several other food banks in the County.