Sequim Gazette Editorial and Letters to the Editor
Thanking those who give all year
Published on Wed, Nov 26, 2008 by Mary PowellRead More Editorial
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and the official start of the holiday season. That means a month or so of shopping, eating, partying, decorating and shopping some more.
While many of us will gather with friends and family around a heavily laden table, Thanksgiving and the oncoming holidays this year are a bit overshadowed by the economic downturn.
Whether it's the Big Three auto companies seemingly on the verge of collapse, banks in trouble, the near record-high unemployment rate, home foreclosures or lost retirement savings, the news is grim.
A majority of economists surveyed recently by the National Association of Business Economics believes we are in a recession that won't be resolved soon.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we keep hearing that the recession will have a profound impact at the retail level, that preseason sales are less than last year and that people are planning to spend less overall this year.
Amid the gloom, however, Thanksgiving presents an opportunity to pause, take stock and put things in perspective. Despite the harsh economic news, there are elements of good and reasons to hope.
We live in a country where people are encouraged to share and they do so willingly and often.
Just last week, for instance, a food drive in Seattle honoring an 11-year-old boy's dying wish to feed the hungry brought in 7 truckloads of food and nearly $90,000 for Seattle-area food banks.
And while food banks throughout the country are finding it difficult to keep shelves stocked, here in Sequim, food bank executive director Nina Fatherson says Sequim is a giving community. Just put out the word and people respond, she says.
According to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, historically charitable giving has been recession-proof.
"At a time when people have things and they know that other people don't, Americans' generosity wins out," says Justin Greeves, senior vice president of Harris Interactive, which regularly polls Americans about their charitable giving.
That being said, Thanksgiving is also a good time to remember those groups, agencies and individuals that come to the aid of our neighbors in need, teach our children, nurse our loved ones back to health, protect our neighborhoods and keep our country safe, not only during the holiday season, but all year long.
This year we recognize and thank the following:
• Our first responders: This includes our firefighters, police officers, sheriff's deputies, Washington State Patrol and emergency medical professionals. Many will be on duty Thanksgiving Day, making the safety of our families and homes their biggest priority. These men and women deserve our utmost respect and honor for the work they do year-round.
• Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County: The Habitat board of directors and volunteers work tirelessly to find affordable land on which to build homes for those in need. The volunteers do most of the work when a house is being built and the board finds corporate donors to provide money and materials. The unique partnership has the family selected to move into the home invest hundreds of hours of labor, called "sweat equity." A few months ago, the agency came up with an idea that will be a source of funding to build affordable homes. ReStore is a home improvement store with a twist. The store, which opened this month, collects and sells gently used home improvement items at a fraction of the original cost, helping those on a limited budget. Like Habitat, volunteers manage the store. For more information or to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, call 681-6780.
• Olympic Peninsula Humane Society: If you love animals, and even if you don't, you have to appreciate the patience and devotion it takes to be surrounded by as many as a dozen dogs and 60 cats on any given day. The volunteer staff who put in time at the humane society have seen and heard it all when it comes to lost dogs and cats, animals that are surrendered by their owners, those that have been abused and the list goes on and on. The shelter does its best to be a no-kill facility, but with 341 cats, 279 kittens and 288 dogs dropped off or lost each year, it's difficult to find space while most are waiting adoption. On average, 45 animals are taken in each week at the humane society and they are taken care of in a kind way as long as possible. There is a way to prevent this, of course, and that is to spay and neuter, and make sure pets wear identification tags.
• Peninsula Friends of Animals, Safe Haven: Same story as above, only it's more about cats. Safe Haven, where there are 40 cats ready for adoption, is funded by the Peninsula Friends of Animals and is a no-kill shelter. There are also 40 cats in foster care right now. While the group will take in small dogs, the concern is for cats, which they call the "forgotten commodity." Again, spaying and neutering is the only solution for bringing down the population of unwanted cats and kittens.
• SNAP: If you have a child with special needs or know someone who does, then you know the difficulties parents face when trying to find programs and services for their children. Enter Special Needs Advocacy Parents (SNAP), a group of parents with children and teens with developmental disabilities. The nonprofit group that subsists from donations from the community and United Way has a variety of programs and services that provide opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. What does SNAP need most of all? "We are desperate for volunteers," says director Teresa Stuber. For further information, call 681-8642.
• And finally, a special thanks to all those serving in the military for the sacrifices you and your families make to protect freedoms. Many a Thanksgiving table will have an empty chair as a son or daughter continues to serve this country.
As we prepare for and celebrate Thanksgiving, take a little time away from the doom and gloom of the day's news and be mindful of the blessings we have. And remember to thank someone in the Sequim community who has made a difference in the lives of those of us who live in this beautiful corner of the world.
From all of us at the Sequim Gazette, a very happy Thanksgiving.
Mary Powell can be reached at editor@sequimgazette or at 683-3311.
While many of us will gather with friends and family around a heavily laden table, Thanksgiving and the oncoming holidays this year are a bit overshadowed by the economic downturn.
Whether it's the Big Three auto companies seemingly on the verge of collapse, banks in trouble, the near record-high unemployment rate, home foreclosures or lost retirement savings, the news is grim.
A majority of economists surveyed recently by the National Association of Business Economics believes we are in a recession that won't be resolved soon.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we keep hearing that the recession will have a profound impact at the retail level, that preseason sales are less than last year and that people are planning to spend less overall this year.
Amid the gloom, however, Thanksgiving presents an opportunity to pause, take stock and put things in perspective. Despite the harsh economic news, there are elements of good and reasons to hope.
We live in a country where people are encouraged to share and they do so willingly and often.
Just last week, for instance, a food drive in Seattle honoring an 11-year-old boy's dying wish to feed the hungry brought in 7 truckloads of food and nearly $90,000 for Seattle-area food banks.
And while food banks throughout the country are finding it difficult to keep shelves stocked, here in Sequim, food bank executive director Nina Fatherson says Sequim is a giving community. Just put out the word and people respond, she says.
According to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, historically charitable giving has been recession-proof.
"At a time when people have things and they know that other people don't, Americans' generosity wins out," says Justin Greeves, senior vice president of Harris Interactive, which regularly polls Americans about their charitable giving.
That being said, Thanksgiving is also a good time to remember those groups, agencies and individuals that come to the aid of our neighbors in need, teach our children, nurse our loved ones back to health, protect our neighborhoods and keep our country safe, not only during the holiday season, but all year long.
This year we recognize and thank the following:
• Our first responders: This includes our firefighters, police officers, sheriff's deputies, Washington State Patrol and emergency medical professionals. Many will be on duty Thanksgiving Day, making the safety of our families and homes their biggest priority. These men and women deserve our utmost respect and honor for the work they do year-round.
• Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County: The Habitat board of directors and volunteers work tirelessly to find affordable land on which to build homes for those in need. The volunteers do most of the work when a house is being built and the board finds corporate donors to provide money and materials. The unique partnership has the family selected to move into the home invest hundreds of hours of labor, called "sweat equity." A few months ago, the agency came up with an idea that will be a source of funding to build affordable homes. ReStore is a home improvement store with a twist. The store, which opened this month, collects and sells gently used home improvement items at a fraction of the original cost, helping those on a limited budget. Like Habitat, volunteers manage the store. For more information or to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, call 681-6780.
• Olympic Peninsula Humane Society: If you love animals, and even if you don't, you have to appreciate the patience and devotion it takes to be surrounded by as many as a dozen dogs and 60 cats on any given day. The volunteer staff who put in time at the humane society have seen and heard it all when it comes to lost dogs and cats, animals that are surrendered by their owners, those that have been abused and the list goes on and on. The shelter does its best to be a no-kill facility, but with 341 cats, 279 kittens and 288 dogs dropped off or lost each year, it's difficult to find space while most are waiting adoption. On average, 45 animals are taken in each week at the humane society and they are taken care of in a kind way as long as possible. There is a way to prevent this, of course, and that is to spay and neuter, and make sure pets wear identification tags.
• Peninsula Friends of Animals, Safe Haven: Same story as above, only it's more about cats. Safe Haven, where there are 40 cats ready for adoption, is funded by the Peninsula Friends of Animals and is a no-kill shelter. There are also 40 cats in foster care right now. While the group will take in small dogs, the concern is for cats, which they call the "forgotten commodity." Again, spaying and neutering is the only solution for bringing down the population of unwanted cats and kittens.
• SNAP: If you have a child with special needs or know someone who does, then you know the difficulties parents face when trying to find programs and services for their children. Enter Special Needs Advocacy Parents (SNAP), a group of parents with children and teens with developmental disabilities. The nonprofit group that subsists from donations from the community and United Way has a variety of programs and services that provide opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. What does SNAP need most of all? "We are desperate for volunteers," says director Teresa Stuber. For further information, call 681-8642.
• And finally, a special thanks to all those serving in the military for the sacrifices you and your families make to protect freedoms. Many a Thanksgiving table will have an empty chair as a son or daughter continues to serve this country.
As we prepare for and celebrate Thanksgiving, take a little time away from the doom and gloom of the day's news and be mindful of the blessings we have. And remember to thank someone in the Sequim community who has made a difference in the lives of those of us who live in this beautiful corner of the world.
From all of us at the Sequim Gazette, a very happy Thanksgiving.
Mary Powell can be reached at editor@sequimgazette or at 683-3311.
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