The Thanksgiving holiday was born during the height of the Civil War when President Abraham Lincoln designated the day to express appreciation for “the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.” The holiday looks different from family to family and culture to culture; for many, it means family time, way too much turkey and pie, and a lot of dishes to clean! Thanksgiving is a perfect time to consider all the good things in our lives and take the time to show appreciation for them.
While we’ve gone virtual this year, in years past our Utah Human Race has been held on Thanksgiving morning. The motto for the race is “Run with an Attitude of Gratitude,” but we invite you to think bigger – and live with an attitude of gratitude. One great way to do that is to think outside ourselves.
It can be stressful to plan a big meal and get together but the pandemic has created some extra challenges. Thanksgiving might even feel like it was canceled this year with travel and social gatherings limited. However, for the 511,000 Utahns facing food insecurity, including 1 in 5 children, Thanksgiving dinner isn’t the only meal that’s in danger. The stress and struggle to have sufficient food is a continuous challenge. The added expectations around Thanksgiving make it harder – it’s difficult to feel gratitude when you’re wondering how to feed your family.
Food insecurity is a looming threat to many of our neighbors. But together, we can fight it! When you give to Utah Food Bank each dollar grows to $8.03 worth of goods and services, and 96 cents of each dollar given goes directly to foods and services. We have 203 partner agencies across the state, as well as a variety of direct service programs, including Mobile School Pantries, Mobile Pantries, Kids Cafe programs, and food box programs. You can be confident that your donation is going right where it’s needed most – to fellow Utahns in need.
Here are a few ways you can give:
1) Join the Utah Human Race
Run here, run there, run anywhere! All the proceeds from our virtual race go to help fellow Utahns facing hunger. Register online and run or walk your 5K or 10K any time between now and November 27! You can make it a social event by starting a team or asking friends and family to support your efforts with a donation. When you sign up, you’ll get all the tools you’ll need to fundraise for your team, plus you’ll get a shirt in the mail. Registration closes on November 24 at 5 pm.
2) Participate in our Holiday Food & Fund Drive
You can help make the season brighter by hosting a food or fund drive in support of our annual Holiday Food & Fund Drive. Join hundreds of community groups and businesses statewide and help stock the shelves of Utah Food Bank and emergency food pantries across the state. Thanks to 107.3/94.9 New Country 12 in a Row, Chevron Refinery, Harmons, Riverton Chevrolet, and Wells Fargo for sponsoring this important effort! Hosting a virtual food drive is a great way to rally your network around fighting hunger while staying safe. You can fill a virtual shopping cart with the items we need most, all without stepping foot in a grocery store. Register as a team captain and encourage your friends, family, and coworkers to fill a virtual grocery cart for us!
3) Giving Tuesday Donation Match
Your donation will be matched up to $25,000 this Giving Tuesday (December 1), thanks to our generous friends at Delta Dental Community Care Foundation! Stay tuned and watch your email for more details!
There’s no better time than right now to get involved and make a difference! When you partner with Utah Food Bank by donating food, time, or money you show gratitude through giving, and by helping stock the cupboards of fellow Utahns, you are a catalyst for gratitude in others.
