Thanksgiving and the official start of the holiday season is right around the corner and for many, it is a festive and fun time of the year that is looked forward to with great anticipation. But it is also important to remember that many people have a daily struggle of putting food on the table for themselves and their family. The worry of getting enough to eat and the added stress of being able to even give their children a few gifts for the season…

Let’s look upon Thanksgiving Day as more than just a day of gorging on turkey and potatoes and watching football games, rather a day of thanks for family, friends, an abundance of food and love. But even more so, thanks for all the blessings we have in this rich and free country we live in as well as for the generous indigenous people who ended giving up so much to the settlers who came before us as they taught them to survive that first winter so long ago.

We understand that for many native people, Thanksgiving Day takes on a whole different meaning than what many of us see it as. For them, it is a painful reminder of what happened to their people and culture through this generosity. Many consider it a time of self-care, deep introspection, and a time to honor their ancestors.

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving Holiday, MADF celebrates both the traditional holiday as well as what the Native Americans did for the colonists so long ago. We encourage all people, from all cultures and backgrounds, to visit us when they need healthy, nutritious food whether for the holidays or any day of the year. We work hard to give to people who have less; to give freely to those who have very little.

Each year MADF gives away over 700 Thanksgiving meal boxes to those in need in Pierce County. These boxes are filled with all the traditional holiday trimmings needed for a family of four. To do this, we partner with the Puyallup Tribes of Indians, Walmart and rely on community donations to help us fill these boxes, so please, if you can, consider donating to our organization. Items like canned vegetables, frozen turkeys, stuffing mixes, and other items are always needed at this time of the year for the holidays. We also always welcome volunteers to help us prepare and handout these meal boxes within the community, so if you aren’t able to donate food and goods, you can always donate your time.

MADF is blessed to be a part of this community and we would like to give our thanks and gratitude this year for the continued abundance that allows us to help those who are most vulnerable to hunger. Thank you to all those individuals, businesses, donors who help us serve our neighbors!