On Monday evening, Foodshare Community Involvement Manager was giving a tour of Foodshare to a mom and two young boys. The older child, an angelic blonde 2nd grader named Justin, listened quietly as Sarah told him we did not have enough turkeys to give to all of the pantries coming in the next day.
Justin asked Sarah, “How do you decide which names you cross off the list?” There is no good answer to his very sincere question. This young boy understood immediately that each turkey represented a real family.
I struggle to deliver that message every year, that these numbers are real, not just something I made up. While Justin expressed it even more eloquently than I did, people clearly heard the message yesterday as they came pouring into Foodshare with their donations.
Sarah sent a follow-up to Justin’s mom on Tuesday to let them know that we had reached the goal and just in time so that no one had to be turned away. She responded with:
“Justin will be so happy! It was weighing heavily on his mind as he went off to school. He asked me how much it cost to donate a turkey online and then said, ‘I hope people know that some people don't have $14 to buy their own turkey and need help.’ I think that Thanksgiving will have a much deeper meaning for him this year, which makes me very happy and proud. Thanks again, Andrea”
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