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With Thanksgiving coming up I've been thinking of all the people in Lansing who give of themselves that I have met since we began publishing this summer. Countless people of all ages have responded to the hurricane disasters despite the fact that the victims are the height of the country away from us. This has ranged from school children, who have initiated fund drives, yard sales and change campaigns for Katrina victims to adults who have collected money, goods, medical supplies and made sure they all get to people who need them.

Today I spoke to a woman who burst into tears at the thought of pet owners who must lose their dogs and cats because they do not have any place to live or way to care for them. Lansing people are fostering these pets, hoping their owners will be able to claim them and that they can be shipped back home.

This is not unusual for Lansing folk. Members of local organizations such as the Lions and Rotary clubs regularly spend countless hours flipping pancakes or serving burgers to raise money for local causes. They don't ask for credit and many of the things we all take for granted have been donated by these groups. For instance the Community Center, many of the Myers Park pavilions and an upcoming band stand have been given to the Town by the Lions.

I haven't even begun to mention all the good works done by local places of worship. The food pantry, for example, is an ongoing concern that some may take for granted, and those running it look for food to give to those who need it, not for credit for their good works. Churches have ministries in the US and outside of it.

How about the fire department? It is entirely run by volunteers who literally put their lives on the line to help their neighbors. The two associated auxiliaries exist to help those in need.

On top of that we have an outstanding recreation department due in large part to the many volunteers who care about our community and make it succeed. Ditto for our school system. Ditto for the Boy and Girl Scouts. Ditto, ditto, ditto...

My point is not to mention everyone. It is that Lansing is an unusually loving and giving community. We teach our children to care about people and to help those in need. And I think all that is something we can all be thankful for.

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v1i18


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