Heed our president’s call on this day of thanks, giving

“As Americans gather for the time-honored Thanksgiving Day meal, let us rejoice in the abundance that graces our tables, in the simple gifts that mark our days, in the loved ones who enrich our lives, and in the gifts of a gracious God.”

Those remarks contained in President Barack Obama’s 2010 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation strike at the heart of the simple-two pronged mission of today’s national feast.

First, Thanksgiving is a day for Americans to recognize and give thanks for their multitude of blessings. Second, the holiday is a time to reach out and give to those around us who — for whatever reason — do not share in the bounties and good fortune of most Americans.

As a community, the Mahoning Valley has had good reason for gratitude over the past year. The two long-standing underpinnings of our manufacturing economy — autos and steel — showed sparks of strength and revival in 2010. The General Motors Lordstown Complex buzzed into high gear producing the new Chevrolet Cruze, only a year or so after the plant’s very future hung in the balance. Youngstown’s V&M Star is forging a promising future with its massive $650 million expansion that will create hundreds of new steel-related jobs.

As individuals and families, too, we have many reasons to pause and give thanks to God — in whatever form we perceive that higher power to be. We Americans are a deeply religious lot, as evidenced by a recent Harris poll that found nearly two-thirds of Americans still hold religion as one of the most important elements of their lives. Too, as several of our letter writers indicate today, we also owe gratitude to individuals and groups around us who have enriched our lives in ways large and small.

‘Return the kindness and generosity’

The second and equally important facet of today’s holiday — giving — also is featured prominently in today’s presidential proclamation: “This harvest season, we are also reminded of those experiencing the pangs of hunger or the hardship of economic insecurity. Let us return the kindness and generosity we have seen throughout the year by helping our fellow citizens weather the storms of our day.”

Here in the Valley, we have a long and proud history of helping. We must continue to do so. Despite recent bright spots on our social and economic landscape, many of our own continue to slip through the cracks. One in five among us in Mahoning County continues to live in poverty.

Fortunately, the Valley offers a strong, secure safety net. In this season of thanksgiving, there is no shortage of ways to assist the many outcasts to prosperity among us:

Donate food or cash to the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, In 2009, it distributed 7.4 million pounds of food, and the need this year has continued to grow.

Volunteer at the Mahoning Valley Rescue Mission, which serves more than 100,000 meals yearly and provides shelter from the elements for tens of thousands.

Drop your loose change in the Salvation Army red kettle. Donate a turkey to a church sponsoring a holiday dinner. Buy a new gift for the Toys for Tots campaign.

In so doing, we can heed the president’s call, and then carry on the selfless ideals of gratitude and giving long beyond the fourth Thursday of each November.