Next weekend, most of us will honor a great American tradition by celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. Hopefully, you will take some time to reflect back on the blessings of life and express gratitude for the little things that make life enjoyable.
To me personally, the greatest blessing in life comes from the love that we share with family. I’m grateful that both of our children have grown up to be responsible adults and happily married. Our daughter has blessed us with our first grandchild and is expecting another next year. Being a grandmother is one of life’s true joys.
I also have the privilege of seeing our son, Ryan, on a more frequent basis because he is a valuable part of the team at Ann Hoke & Associates. I’m grateful for all of our team members that work diligently to uphold our service expectations and deliver value to our clients. None of us would be where we are today with out the help and support of family, friends and others.
Everyone who owns, manages or works in a private-sector business realizes just how tough things have been since the economy began to falter a few years ago. Yet, it is important that we find ways to continue helping others.
We live in a community that lives up to the tradition of volunteerism for which our state is known. We have seen this in practice when our region responded quickly to natural disasters that struck Murfreesboro in each of the past two years. Neighbors and strangers, too many to count or name, rose to the occasion and worked to help restore a normalcy of life to those directly impacted by the flood or tornadoes.
As impressive as it may be, it’s not just our responsiveness to disasters that sets our community apart. Our community has continually demonstrated an ongoing spirit of generosity and giving when it comes to supporting nonprofit causes.
This past year, we were introduced to two local charities that are in continual need of volunteer help and donations. Our limited experience with both of them has left a lasting impression on me and others who have volunteered time or goods to help with their need.
Room in the Inn is a homeless shelter located on West Main Street. The shelter provides safe living conditions and dependable meals for adults and children on a temporary basis. Because of space constraints, they are usually limited to 20-25 residents at a time.
Journey Home is located nearby on West Castle Street, but it does not permit overnight stays. However, the center does provide warm meals and a place of refuge during the day.
Two things about each center have impressed me. For starters, the people that need the support are no different than your or me. In many cases, something beyond their control has left them in dire financial circumstances without a support system to help.
Secondly, these centers rely upon you and me to volunteer our time and resources to help meet the need. They receive little assistance from the government. As you settle back to prepare your Thanksgiving meal, I hope that you’ll consider contacting one of these shelters or another local charity and make plans to share in meeting their needs during the holidays.
Ann Hoke leads the award-winning team at Ann Hoke & Associates (affiliated with Keller Williams Realty).
For more information or comments, contact her at 397-4024 or ann@annhoke.com.
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