Mike and Thanksgiving time

During this time of year, it is impossible to not be aware of those who do for others, even when they themselves are having a trying time. Every year, Michael helps give hundreds of people a Thanksgiving dinner they wouldn’t ordinarily have. For months, He organizes car shows, and other fundraisers with the organization that helps make this a possibility every year, to raise money to buy the items for each Thanksgiving box. The hours can be long and there is a lot of lifting, walking, organizing and more involved with each car show, yet Mike tirelessly works his hardest to ensure that as many people as possible get a Thanksgiving dinner.

Once it’s time to buy the supplies, He once again makes sure that boxes are obtained for the dinners, that all supplies are purchased, and that everything is in place. The boxes are filled with everything a Thanksgiving dinner should be: A 15 pound turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls and a pumpkin pie.

Once the boxes are all filled, it’s time to deliver them to the drop off locations where qualified families wait with excitement and happiness that they get to have a real thanksgiving dinner during a time when they thought they weren’t going to have one. Each year they have been able provide Thanksgiving dinners for anywhere from 500 to 1000 families. Even when lifting these boxes has left him with his back thrown out of whack for a day or two, it doesn’t slow him down and he always makes sure every family has what they need.

What makes this even more amazing is that Mike has been unemployed for almost two years, due to the bad economy and has financial issues he has to deal with as well. But regardless of his own situation, it is more important to him to focus on the well being of others. He is truly an amazing man and is what Thanksgiving is all about. When those families sit down to their wonderful Thanksgiving meal, they no doubt, are thankful for Mike and his other co workers who worked hard to make sure they had that meal.

Some people might focus only on themselves and their own struggles, but not Mike. He would give the shirt off his back to someone who needed it, and his compassion for others in need is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. He is a rare person, always looking for ways to help others, and this yearly event is something that means a lot to him because of all the people he gets to help. Thanksgiving is his favorite time of year and he is definitely a testimony to what it should be about.