Community organizations give money on Thanksgiving

CHICAGO — The Boys & Girls Club of Chicago had a small group of volunteers working all day Wednesday to prepare for the Thanksgiving giveaway.

Rachel Carpenter is one of more than 20 volunteers who turned out for the Valentine Club’s 55th annual Thanksgiving Dinner on Wednesday.

“It’s about helping the community and being thankful for my community,” Carpenter said. “It definitely gave me a better understanding of the meaning of Thanksgiving.”

For Carpenter, volunteering comes full circle as she and her family benefit from the club’s annual Thanksgiving dinners.

“They came as a family, even when we came to eat as a community with a bunch of people,” Carpenter said. “It means a lot to be able to give back.”

More than 20 Boys & Girls Clubs across the city are celebrating Thanksgiving in a variety of ways.

“We go where the need is,” said Michael Crowley, chief of staff for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago. “We are here to support not only our children, but also the communities they are a part of. That’s what makes communities stronger.”

A similar motto was displayed in Evanston, where Connections for the Homeless prepared meals for 60 people currently in shelters supported by the group.