Thanksgiving Petition Drive

Thanksgiving is a day that is often marked by many traditions and rituals: gatherings of family and friends at a bountiful table, football games, outings, and the start of the holiday season. Many individuals also include on this day an activity that acknowledges our gratitude by doing something for those less fortunate like donating clothing and food to the homeless or serving Thanksgiving dinner at a local shelter.

At Hillsides we benefit from this volunteer spirit. This year a group of motorcyclists will ride to campus Thanksgiving morning and spend some time visiting with residents who will be here. This will be just one of the special activities being planned to celebrate Thanksgiving and to make it memorable for the children and youth we serve.

Indeed, one of the things that we at Hillsides are so grateful for are the legion of volunteers who offer their time and talent to serve those in our care. We are really dependent upon such generous volunteers, who beyond the service they render, become very effective advocates for the services we provide.

Once again, we call upon your commitment to our mission and ask you to take some time on Thanksgiving Day and consider signing an on-line petition to President Obama asking him to keep the many children and families, who are dependent on federal assistance, harmless in the upcoming fiscal discussions. Hillsides is joining with the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) to secure 5,000 signatures before Thanksgiving and to reach 25,000 over the next two weeks.

This is a critical time for our nation as we seek out a path to fiscal stability. Some very difficult decisions will need to be made. As we address this issue, it is important not to be shortsighted. We know that ensuring access to resources assists struggling families in finding the stability that helps to prevent child abuse and neglect. We must make it clear that a balanced approach to budgeting cannot burden children. Safe, healthy, and flourishing children will ensure our long-term prosperity, so please sign today. We also ask that you encourage family, friends, and colleagues to do the same.

For more information on what we are hoping to accomplish, please check out the materials at http://bit.ly/HoldChildrenHarmless. There you will find information that details the programs that are a key way to prevent child maltreatment, but also how they help strengthen families so they can contribute to the economic recovery and prepare children to be hopeful today and valuable members of our society tomorrow.