At this time of giving thanks, there is so much for which we are grateful. But we recognize that our bounty is not linked to the calendar, to be appreciated only in late November. Neither are the needs of those community members experiencing homelessness limited solely to the holidays, when we are more attuned to those who have no bounty. We thus commit to counting our many blessings throughout the year, and to do all that we can, whenever is necessary, to respond to our neighbors in need.
In gratitude for the abundance that will be shared at our tables this Thanksgiving, we pledge to support efforts to end hunger throughout the year.
In gratitude for all those whose labors have brought food to our tables – the farm and factory workers, the truck drivers, the store clerks and cashiers – we pledge to support efforts to raise the minimum wage.
In gratitude for the warmth and comfort of our homes, we pledge to support efforts to ensure housing security for all.
In gratitude for the opportunity to use our voices to debate current events around the Thanksgiving dinner table, we pledge to support efforts of community members to lift up their voices into the public discourse that impacts their lives.
In gratitude for our family and friends who have passed – who are with us only in spirit this holiday – we pledge to honor the lives of those who died while homeless this past year and to do all that we can to eliminate any life being lost to homelessness.
In gratitude for all those blessings that go unnamed, we pledge to support efforts to protect a broad range of rights and opportunities for all.
In gratitude for you – our volunteers, donors and allies – we pledge to remain on the journey towards a more just and inclusive DC, until all of our clients can journey home.
May your blessings be great this Thanksgiving…and well beyond.
