For me, the Thanksgiving holiday is a time to pause and consider the gifts that life has given me and ask myself how and where I can pay those gifts forward.
More than any other year, 2020 is the year to pay it forward. More than any other disaster, the impact of COVID-19 has been unequal. And it is unequal in ways that will have a lasting effect. People are hurting like never before, and sadly the agencies that support them are devasted as well. People who had jobs, and were barely able to support their families up til now, are without a safety net and are hungry.
As Thanks-Giving approaches, its time for all of us who have the gift of privilege to pause and ask ourselves these questions:
- What can I do to support the businesses in my community so they too can pay it forward and continue to employ people?
- What can I do to support my neighbors who may be struggling with housing, food insecurity, and other unmet basic needs?
- What can I do to support the agencies, including the arts, that fill the gaps in these unmet needs and bring hope and beauty to our community?
The initial results of my Pivot are excellent. I feel I have much greater clarity regarding the next 3-5 years.. 