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Give Thanks

November 29, 2013
Pelosi Update

Give Thanks
On Thanksgiving, we come together to offer our gratitude for the blessings in our lives, for our families, friends, and loved ones, for the strength of our community, our city, and our country.

On this day of giving thanks, let us set seek out areas of common purpose, whether in charting a course of justice for immigrants or ministering to the poor, educating our children or curing disease. Let us recall the words of our patron saint, St. Francis – "For it is in giving that we receive" – and continue to give of ourselves on behalf of others, in the name of the greater good.

As many of us gather around our tables this week surrounded by family and friends, I encourage you to explore the many resources offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that you and your loved ones have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Please visit their website or www.foodsafety.gov to learn how to prepare a meal that is both delicious and healthy.

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Congresswoman Pelosi serving meals at St. Anthony's Dining Room in South of Market during the Thanksgiving holiday last year.

Serving Our Neighbors
It was an honor to serve meals with my family and other volunteers at the St. Anthony's Dining Room in celebration of Thanksgiving this week. Since 1950, the St. Anthony's Dining Room has served poor and homeless Tenderloin residents, welcoming each guest with dignity and respect. Today, the Dining Room serves nearly a million hot, nutritious meals each year.

This holiday season, let us renew our commitment to lift up the needy and help the less fortunate. Millions of Americans—particularly children, seniors, and veterans—struggle with hunger every day, and rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, just to have enough to eat. Earlier this year, House Republicans heartlessly voted to gut SNAP by $40 billion over the next decade. These vicious cuts to SNAP affect us here in San Francisco as well, where people from all walks of life rely on the SNAP and nutrition programs to make it through tough and trying times.

There are a number of ways you can help the less fortunate in our community this holiday season. Please visit Feeding America for a list of local food banks in your neighborhood. You may also be interested in volunteering or donating to the San Francisco Food Bank, which works in collaboration with St. Anthony's of San Francisco, to help put an end to hunger and poverty in our city.

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