For the last five years, Pacifica Institute has hosted its Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner. A couple days before Thanksgiving Day, on Tuesday, November 24th guests of all ages, cultures, faiths, and backgrounds came to enjoy a volunteer prepared meal for the benefit of the Syrian Refugees, just as they did the year before. Community members enjoyed delicious turkey and trimmings. Conversation focused on the refugees, thankfulness, and catching up between familiar and new friends alike. The children of Pacifica Institute prepared a video in which they shared that which they were most thankful for. Follows are a few of the remarks giving by the moderator for the evening. It’s the time of the year when most promote hopefully deep reflection on all that there is to be thankful for. Well that is quite a task if you really take the time to think about it! How can anyone be thoroughly and truly thankful for such things as water…clean water, shelter, food, and other essential basics that many around the world struggle to have or are even deprived? How can we try to offer thanks and to understand those less fortunate than ourselves, when we haven’t experienced such difficulties our self? Well as uncomfortable as it might be, one way to start the understanding is by talking about it and reflecting on it. This is the minimum we can do. Another way we can show our thankfulness is through giving to those in need. Toward that goal, information was shared about the Syrian Refugee Efforts conducted by Embrace Relief. Donations were collected toward blankets and other needs for the refugees.
For more information and to make donations visit: http://embracerelief.org/syrian-refugees/
It was proposed that attendees could take this night as the starting point for thinking more deeply about other ways anyone can help our global communities and neighbors in need. One can make a difference, as was noted in the following example given. Guests may like to involve in a fundraiser established by Cristal Munoz-Logothetis a mother from Glendale, CA who is collecting baby carries to send to the refugees arriving in Greece, as well as raising funds to send people to distribute them. The name of the initiative is Carry the Future, Operation Refugee Child.
For more information and to make donations visit: http://www.carrythefuture.org/index.html
The exemplary personality, Dr. Gerald Grudzen president of Global Ministries University, spoke of the tradition America is well known for, concerning welcoming and supporting refugees. He encourage all to remember the foundations America was built on by refugees.
In the closing remarks it was suggested that anyone could organize a blanket drive or fundraiser on their campus, in their workplace or in their neighborhood. In addition, it was mentioned that there are other ways to help, we just haven’t thought of them yet. Let’s keep thinking! Enthralling conversation ensued as the evening came to a close.
