The Open Door Mission doesn’t cut
corners when preparing a hearty Thanksgiving meal, senior Melissa Maher and
family wouldn’t stand for it.
For as long as Maher can remember,
Thanksgiving has not only been a time of family gatherings and pumpkin pie, but
also a time of her family bringing the traditional Thanksgiving meal to the
Open Door Mission.
“We deliver turkeys, pies, stuffing,
beans and rolls to the Mission. My
family then goes around to surrounding neighborhoods and we ask them to go eat
at the Mission,” said Maher.
The Maher’s have always believed in
treating everyone as equals, which is exactly why the Open Door Mission
receives a replica of their own family’s Thanksgiving meal.
“My parents wanted us to be thankful
for what we have, especially on Thanksgiving.
We bring the Mission exactly what we eat on Thanksgiving so there is no
difference between us [and those at the Mission]. I like the feeling of being equal to those at the Mission,” said
Maher.
The Maher family Thanksgiving tradition
has opened up Melissa’s eyes to the less fortunate at a very young age.
“When I was young, my dad, brother and
I would go down to the Mission and I would observe the living styles. This always made me very thankful for what I
have,” said Maher.
Melissa will soon be leaving for
college, but she knows that her family’s service at the Mission is something
that will never leave her.
“I’ll be able to keep this tradition
for my whole life. I’m very fortunate
my family has done this for so long because it got me over my fears of the less
fortunate.”
Throughout Maher’s service at the
Mission, she has found that it has brought her family closer together.
“Through my families service, it makes us very thankful for what we have. I don’t know if I’d be the same without this experience.”