November has always been one of my favorite times of year.
In addition to marking the beginning of college basketball season — if you haven’t heard, I’m a product of Chapel Hill and a die-hard Tar Heel fan — November also starts the beginning of the holiday season.
I’ll gladly admit that I’m not big into shopping and the stresses of the holidays are always overwhelming, but this time of year also brings me a great deal of joy.
To me, the holidays are about spending time with family, which the older I get and the more distance that seems to separate myself from my parents and siblings, the more important “family time” becomes.
It’s a time, as the holiday suggests, for giving thanks and reflecting on the many blessings in our lives.
It’s also a time when we are inspired to share our blessings with those less fortunate.
I was inspired this week by two groups who are reaching out to populations within our community that are often over-looked during the holiday season.
Home Instead Senior Care and the Harrisburg American Legion are holding two separate, but equally heart-warming, donation drives to collect much-needed items for seniors and veterans respectively.
While the holidays are, it seems, increasingly about the children, these two groups are making a dedicated effort — as they both have done in years past with great success — to spread a little holiday cheer to people and groups that might otherwise be overlooked.
Donation boxes for both donation drives are located in and around Harrisburg, with sought-after items ranging from toiletries to clothes, blankets and other basic necessities.
We at Harrisburg Horizons would like to wish all of you a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday, and to encourage you, as you spend time considering your blessings, to also consider how you can help others have an equally joyous holiday.
It’s easy to give, and we hope you will.
Jonathan E. Coleman
Editor