Give Thanks, Give Back

“Give Thanks, Give Back” is the theme of the Fall workshop for Cornerstone’s Comprehensive Care Program families. It is a time to reflect and be thankful for many blessings and to make a plan to give back. This year, Tangulon Gardner, from the Sickle Cell Disease Association, presented information about Sickle Disease. She provided handouts and prizes for participants giving them a wealth of knowledge about a disease not many are familiar with. While the adults enjoyed their presentation, the children (of all ages) enjoyed activities that generated discussion about being thankful and helping others. They also created crafts with Thanksgiving themes. For example, the children used apples, toothpicks, gumdrops, and marshmallows to create their turkey snacks. Everyone, adults and children alike, created books of thankfulness and made plans to give to someone else throughout the holidays. They were able to write down the things they were thankful for and create a booklet to remind themselves of these things when things seem to go wrong. As a direct act of giving back, the adults sorted socks and underwear for the Cornerstone Thrift Store. Finally, everyone contributed to our Thankfulness Tree which can be found hanging on the wall in the case management hall at Cornerstone Assistance Network. Each person placed a hand print on the tree and wrote what they are most thankful for. This tradition began a few years ago and will continue as we fill up our tree with thanksgiving.

The purpose of the workshop for our 3CP families is to engage them in learning things they would not otherwise be exposed to in a manner that they can receive. In a way, the workshops serve as teachable moments, therapeutic engagement, and social exercises. We look for new ways to engage our families each year in order to help them continue on their way to becoming self-sufficient.

Click here to see pictures of the Give Thanks, Give Back workshop.