Thanksgiving 2021

NightShift’s Third Annual Thanksgiving Dinner was shared with friends in two cities this year – Langley and Surrey. Along with a hot turkey dinner, and friendship, a shared sense of gratitude were on the menu.

In Langley, 80 hot meals were served, and in Surrey, 110 meals were served to people struggling with some of life’s most difficult challenges – homelessness, poverty, addiction and mental illness. And in both communities, a sense of thanksgiving permeated the air (along with a lot of rain!) as our friends shared smiles and gratitude for the celebration meal, a safe space to gather and belong.

We are thankful for our staff and volunteers who cooked and served this special turkey dinner with all the fixings, and to our generous Thanksgiving sponsors, who made it possible to share this celebration meal and special gifts with almost 200 people!

NightShift is especially grateful that we were able to set up a full outdoor meal service this year, serve from our food truck and provide tents to gather under.

We were especially moved by the Gratitude Leaves gathered from our friends in Surrey, who took the time to write down things they were thankful for, even in the midst of adversity. Some leaves read: “Everything God gives me everyday”; “Thankful for NightShift and for all the volunteers”; “Thankful for my son and this meal”; “God and Christ”; “I’m thankful for my pet dogs”; and “Family, friends, food, nature, animals and chances”.

Research shows that practicing gratitude increases health and deepens relationships. We know gratitude also increases faith in God!

We hope your Thanksgiving weekend was filled to the brim with gratitude, as ours was at NightShift!

Surrey

Langley