This year, God’s Love celebrates 25 years of bringing Thanksgiving cheer to our clients. Nearly 800 generous volunteers will join God’s Love We Deliver staff, celebrities, local politicians, and Board members today in preparing and delivering a record 3,024 meals to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and other life-altering illnesses in New York City, and in Newark and Hudson County, New Jersey.

Many of our clients have also requested and will receive a guest meal, so that they can invite a friend or family member to spend the holiday. Each meal is delivered in a hand-decorated bag designed by local school children. Each household will also receive a holiday gift basket, containing crackers, cheese, cookies, jams, nuts, raisins, coffee, teas and other treats to help make the day special.

Each year, this day of thanksgiving comes together so smoothly as a result of the great attention to detail from all of our staff and volunteers. They want to be sure that this day in particular goes perfectly right for our clients. Why, you ask? Without the healthy, nutritious meals that God’s Love provides, our clients would be in crisis. Without the daily focus that guarantees each individually-tailored meal gets to the client that it was designed for, our clients’ health would suffer. Without our volunteers, 7,600 strong, who chop vegetables, work in our offices and make deliveries every day, those meals would never reach our clients. Without the charitable support of thousands of donors, we would not have the means to meet our mission.

There is no day at God’s Love that more fully demonstrates our core values than Thanksgiving. Everyone who participates does so for deeply personal reasons and with a pure heart. And while they are preparing and delivering meals and gift baskets to those with severe and often life-threatening illnesses, the experience is absolutely life-affirming, bringing so many volunteers to God’s Love year after year.

It is simply the hearts of our volunteers, staff, supporters, VIPS, celebrities, and local politicians that make our Thanksgiving such a wonderful day. It is for all of them — and most especially our clients — that we are truly thankful.