Written by Noeleen McGrath

As Lions we all understand the importance of giving back to the community. With other groups, you donate items and know that they are passed on to help others. But it's rare that you actually see firsthand how much you're helping someone. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving I was privileged to meet one of the families who received one of our Thanksgiving baskets. She was a young woman, who thought there wouldn't be any Thanksgiving dinner in her house this year. It's been a rough year. Her mom died, leaving behind nine kids, ages 8-21. Three of the kids are working their way through college. And the young woman who picked up the basket seemed to be the one holding the rest of the family together. She had tears in her eyes and hugged each of us when we carried the food out to her car. As we walked, she told us about her mom and how she and her sister really thought there would be no Thanksgiving this year. "Now we have a turkey!" She just couldn't believe her good fortune. She thanked us so much for our generosity. And wanted us to know that we had made a real difference in her family's life. And by the time we had walked her to her car, she wasn't the only one who was tearing up. Rob Jackimiec, Sharon DeVita, Caylei Hallberg and I were all a little misty. And we were all proud that we were able to touch someone's life in such a positive way.