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16 | THE COLONY NEWS | NOVEMBER 2023 | THANKSGIVING WITH A MARINE By Sharon Boll, 951-600-2579 FILL A BAG, FEED A FAMILY By Kathleen Ricketts, 951-894-1919 THANKS + GIVING By Margaret Norville If you plan on preparing Thanksgiving dinner at home this November, it would be a great idea to welcome a young Marine from Pendleton to share your meal! Most of these young Marines are in basic training, and this is their first-ever Thanksgiving away from home. They are always most grateful to have the day off base and to share a home-cooked meal with your family. We only have eight families signed up so far hosting 24 Marines. The bus holds 56 so we have a long way to go. For your information Waste Management has paid for the bus. Gosch Ford and Pechanga have paid for all the food for the host families and Barons has donated items for a goodie bag for each Marine. A big thank you to them for their support each year. As you can see, we still need volunteers to be host families. The bus will pick up the Marines at Pendleton at 9 am and they will arrive at the Clubhouse at approximately 10:30 am, where you will pick them up. They will really enjoy Thanksgiving with you and your family, and then you will return them to the Clubhouse by 3:30 pm for their return to Pendleton. Each family may host up to two Marines, and our bus holds 54. Many times they do not have enough host families, at which time you may host more than two, if you wish. If you wish to make Thanksgiving Day a special day for a Marine – or maybe two – give me a call now and I will explain the process for signing up. You'll be happy you did, and so will your guest Marines! Sign-ups start this month, so we would like to get our hosts lined up and be first in the queue as the Marines are assigned on a "first- signed-up, first-to-receive" basis. Think about it – you could make a big difference to someone away from home for the first time! Contact me at the above number or Denise Sturm at 949-632-6552. As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us look forward to sitting down with friends and family for that yummy traditional dinner. The Murrieta United Methodist Church Food Pantry, which serves more than 150 families each week, could truly use our help in providing holiday food baskets. If you would like to donate a meal, simply shop for the items at right and clip the list to your bag of groceries. You can leave your donation at my house, 40250 Via Ambiente, or you may call me for pickup. I will deliver all donations to the Food Pantry, but I must receive them by Friday, Nov. 10. Thank you for any and all donations! Items needed: • Stuffing mix & gravy • Instant mashed potatoes • 2 cans green beans • Mushroom soup • Canned onions • Canned yams • Brown sugar • Miniature marshmallows • Cornbread mix • Canned pineapple, crushed or rings • Cake or cookie mix • Coffee or hot chocolate Any other items you would like to provide Whether or not you will be eating turkey, chances are you will be celebrating Thanksgiving on Nov. 23 in some way. It's a day of special traditions and for many a favorite time of year. Both quiet tables and large circles of family and friends will gather throughout the country. It is a time to express gratitude for the blessings in our lives and surviving the difficult times. This year, let's give extra thought to the "giving" part of Thanksgiving. Think of the ways you give and that heartwarming feeling you get. In fact, you may find it's easier to give than to receive. The Colony is a flowing fountain of giving, kindness and generosity. Something as simple as the "Colony Wave" can lift someone's spirit. Neighbors share food and pass along items someone else can better use. Donations for the food bank and holiday projects get strong support and acts of kindness and helpfulness fill our neighborhood throughout the year. Think also how empty our lives might be without the contributions of volunteers who staff committees and create the activities we enjoy. Be grateful and celebrate whatever part you play in this. It makes The Colony a special place. Not everyone has this kind of experience where they live. Colony generosity also extends beyond our community. Are you wise with your resources when you give? Recently we had a presentation in The Colony on how to be aware and protect ourselves from fraud. There are no federal laws that dictate how much of their donations charities must direct to their programs. A recommended rule is that at least 80 percent of a budget should be used for program activities. Too often that is not the case. CharityNavigator.org lists organizations and shows how much each uses for program activities, administration, salaries and fundraising. Other helpful websites are Give.org (Better Business Bureau sponsored) and CharityWatch.org. Let's continue our generosity at this giving time of year and do so wisely.