Many people are often inspired to help others during the holidays. It’s that time when they realize how much they have and what they are grateful for. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays. As we all sit down to a feast we know that many people are not. That’s why many people were helping to feed the homeless on Thanksgiving day, and providing them with lunch.

Yet is is easy to forget about the less fortunate when every other day, when we’re going about our business and taking care of ourselves. We turn a blind eye to those around us because we have our own issues to worry about and maybe we believe that someone else will help them. That didn’t happen this year. Not only were the homeless of St. Laurence Chapel fed on Thanksgiving, they were also fed the day after thanksgiving.

The members of St. Mary Magdalene including their youth group brought food to the homeless on black Friday. Instead of going to stores and shopping for things they might have wanted they spent time giving food to those that need it the most.

St. Mary Magdalene’s youth group gave up their Friday off from school to come to St. Laurence Chapel to meet and feed the homeless. Many were excited to be able to help and others were nervous not knowing what to expect or what exactly they would be doing. Father Mark was happy to jump in and lend a hand and encourage the youth.

A few of the parents even brought along some of the younger children so that they could help out as best they could, although they seemed small and unlikely to offer much in the way of help they certainly brought a smile to both the volunteers and they homeless who got the chance to talk with them for a moment. Children don’t learn prejudice until they are older. They were happy to talk to everybody and in many ways we can learn from them.

The homeless are people just like us who have had bad luck or made bad choices, but they are still people and just like children we should be happy to stop and talk and give a meal whenever we can because it brightens there day and you never know what conversation will help someone overcome their struggles.