Fifteen of 52

15 of 52. Thanksgiving has always been a special time for me. In England we had Harvest Festival which meant good food. Then in Canada with Thanks giving it meant good food, But it is more than that. In the US it is the most important celebration of the year. Ruth & I arrived in New York Thanksgiving afternoon in 1999. We had crossed the US by train and had watch the trains fill up with people "going home" for Thanksgiving. As we got closer to New York the train was emptier as people had already arrived in many destinations. We got to our hotel on 42nd St and 5th Ave in downtown Manhattan (near Grand Central Station and Times Square). By 6:30 Manhattan was deserted. Stores closed and everyone at home. It was like an eerie apocalyptic movie where there is no one in New York. Thanksgiving is that important. Living in Canada we are extremely lucky. We have healthcare, education, infrastructure, and stable government. Food and clean water are there for us, generally when e need it. But there are those in our community who do not have the same secure life we are privileged to have. We need food banks to help families and individuals make ends meet. We have a Cold Weather Mat Program supported by our churches as a place where those in need can have a warm dry place to sleep and some hot food in their bellies. And we Rotarians help. Our food drive last weekend help replenish the shelves of the SHARE Food Bank. Our people will be assisting at the churches. We will be giving a Christmas meal at Inner Visions for those pursued by the demons of addiction. Many in the world do not have the basic needs of shelter, security of self and family, food and clean water. The Fellowship House at the Montreal Convention, this past June, showed what we can do around the world, how we are changing lives for the better through our partnerships and programs. In Africa, Asia South America Rotarians are making a difference. We in Port Moody are doing our bit too, Building Communities, Bridging Continents. Happy belated Thanksgiving to you all Nick