Perhaps more than at any other time of year, Thanksgiving brings out our desire to recognize the good in our lives and share that bounty by doing something good for others. Is there a better way of expressing gratitude for our own blessings?

Yet most days, it feels easier for me to think about doing good deeds than actually do them.  Last year, after having my fill at Thanksgiving I felt surprisingly empty.

How do you truly give of yourself during the holidays, especially in this economy, when so many are hurting, out of work and perhaps have lost their homes?   

I set out on a quest to find some answers about how to volunteer in a meaningful way in Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley area this Thanksgiving. 

The answers may surprise you. Hopefully, my experience will guide you in your own search for ways to give back during the holidays.

Community Thanksgiving

A lovely tradition that began 28 years ago is the Livermore Community Thanksgiving Dinner, in which a free hot meal is served on Thanksgiving day. It's a wonderful community event not only for those who are economically disadvantaged or homeless, but for everyone. 

"People can come if they're feeling lonely, and it's a very rewarding experience," says Helene Renaud, who is in charge of donations.

On Thanksgiving Day between 1 and 5 p.m., more than 1,000 meals will be served and hundreds more delivered to those unable to attend. 

There will be information on volunteer positions and signups at a meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Bothwell Center, 2466 8th St., Livermore.  To contribute to the Thanksgiving Day feast, bring food items to the meeting. For more information and a list of needed items, visit www.lctd.org.

Open Heart Kitchen

I continued on my volunteering quest with a meeting with Fred Watson, volunteer director of Open Heart Kitchen. The kitchen is the only year-round hot meal program in the Tri-Valley area.

"We're talking about the new face of hunger, people who are just like you and I sitting here," Watson says. "They're your neighbors who are quietly selling cars and are out looking for work.  It's as serious as a heart attack."

He explained that he became involved with Open Heart Kitchen after losing his job as a telecommunications manager.

"I was in that food line. Every day it was a big production, where were you gonna get the next meal, whether to eat that day or pay PG&E and every 30 days how were you gonna make the mortgage," says Watson.

During our conversation, he challenged me to think about the fact that Open Heart Kitchen needs to feed people, food and volunteers 365 days a year not just a few days during the holidays.

What had started off for me as a simple story about how to volunteer for Thanksgiving changed with the realization of how serious things are and I began to think about how to volunteer throughout the year.

The front lines of hunger

I went to one of the Open Heart sites that serve food, the Holy Cross Lutheran Church at 1020 Mocho in Livermore.

At Watson's suggestion, I got in line and received generous portions of a beef noodle dish with white sauce, mixed vegetables, green salad, potato salad, and fruit and baked goods for dessert. The food was good and the atmosphere was comfortable and festive.

I sat with a family of four: a clean-cut teenage boy, a sweet middle-school daughter, an articulate father and a warm, gregarious mother. There was a single young man at our table, a middle-aged woman and a teacher getting ready to make his way to Central California to look for work. 

Lovely people, who for whatever reason needed to go to Open Heart Kitchen for their meal.  There was birthday cake that day to celebrate all who had a birthday in November, including a 1-year-old girl and several adults. 

I realized that Watson was right. The new face of hunger is mine or yours.

Easy to Volunteer at Open Heart

The group's website allows a volunteer to click on a site and see what shifts are available in one- to three-hour segments. People can type their name in a time slot or cancel a shift by removing their name.

It couldn't be easier, I thought.

The organization provides 4,500 meals a week, which includes food for low-income seniors and students who receive free lunches during the school week but need meals over the weekend.

"I don't want to lose the entrepreneurial spirit of volunteerism we have at Christmas time," Watson says. "It just would be great if we could have it all year."

His comments brought to mind the wise observations of my 83-year-old mother. After I expressed disappointment that we weren't spending Thanksgiving together this year, she said  "That's alright, come anytime to visit.  To me, every day is Thanksgiving."     

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.  ~Johannes A. Gaertner

Additional Volunteer Opportunities

Open Heart Kitchen

Open Heart Kitchen has ongoing opportunities for volunteers to feed the hungry in our community.  For more information or to sign up, go to www.openheartkitchen.org.