A Thanksgiving Day View From A Pew

This week in the Tri-City area, I witnessed something powerful—something that reminded me why our community, despite our differences, “We Do Amazing”. I saw gratitude turn into action. I saw blessings transform into service. I saw love move through our streets like a warm November breeze.

Across Columbus, Phenix City, and Fort Benning, turkeys were handed out in parking lots, churches, gyms and community centers. Families lined up early—not for a handout, but for a helping hand. Volunteers—some in matching shirts, some still wearing the dust of a long day’s work—lifted boxes, loaded baskets, and made sure every child, every elder, every struggling family had what they needed for a Thanksgiving meal.

And at one event, when the line wrapped around the corner and the turkeys ran out, folks didn’t shrug or walk away—they reached into their own wallets. They pooled their money. They drove out and bought more. That’s the Tri-City spirit. We refuse to let anyone leave empty-handed.

Many of these same volunteers will sit down to overflowing tables today. But not before they make sure someone else could do the same. That’s what gratitude looks like when it refuses to stay quiet. That’s what service looks like when it comes straight from the heart.

And let’s be real: this compassion comes at a time when food programs for children, seniors and working families are being cut or challenged at every level of government. When people are losing benefits but not losing hunger. That’s why the work of organizations like Feeding the Valley, Scouting America Chattahoochee Council, our area churches, civic groups, businesses and neighborhood volunteers is not just admirable—it’s essential. They’re bridging gaps that should have never existed in the first place.

We often hear, “Look for the good in others.” This week, you didn’t have to look far. It was standing in parking lots holding turkeys. It was passing out canned goods under a tent. It was stirring pots in a church kitchen. It was neighbors helping neighbors—not for cameras, not for applause, but because it’s simply the right thing to do.

So, to our churches, civic groups, local businesses, nonprofit partners, my radio family at Davis Broadcasting, Inc., and the everyday folks who keep showing up, I say thank you. We don’t rely on an indifferent political system to rescue those who are struggling. We rescue each other. We fill the gap. We stand in the breach. And we thank God that we can help someone other than ourselves.

Blessings to you and yours. May this Tri-City Thanksgiving be filled not just with food, but with compassion, courage, and community.