Drive with me this Thanksgiving

It’s my personal Thanksgiving tradition. And I want you to join me this year, if you’re able.

For over 40 years, the Equinox Community Services Agency has hosted and prepared Thanksgiving dinners for Capital District families in need. They’ve provided these dinners for the homebound, the elderly, the infirmed and the needy, providing meals for those who need a day of holiday cheer. Thousands of turkey dinners are prepared every Thanksgiving morning at the Empire State Plaza, and hundreds of drivers are needed to help courier these meals throughout the Capital District.

I’ve participated in this project for the past several years, and I look forward to doing it again this year. But it’s one thing for me to do it. If you’re able, my dear readers, I want you to join me this year and be a volunteer driver.

All it takes is a little bit of your morning time.  Here’s what you can do, it’s easy.

Get up early in the morning and drive to the Empire State Plaza. You’ll park in the underground parking lot – remember to bring a photo ID, as there will be security guards stationed at the parking garage.

Bring some boxes. You could be hauling as many as ten dinners, including all the trimmings, and it’s probably not a good idea to carry everything in your hands.

Once you get there, you’ll wait in line at the concourse. The line won’t move until at least 8:00 a.m., but you should get their as early as you possibly can. You’ll wait in line with other drivers. This is a great opportunity to make new friends. If you’re feeling a bit hungry, I’d recommend stopping at a donut shop prior to arriving at the Plaza.   Sometimes the Plaza opens up their coffee shops and kiosks, but you’re better off bringing your own breakfast noshfoods.

Don’t be intimidated by the long line. This is a good opportunity to enjoy a book, play a board game, check the news on your iPad. Heck, you could even read the Times Union’s blog section.

When the line starts moving, you will approach a table that is full of paper-clipped index cards. Each pack of cards represents several families and the number of meals needed. You will then go to an area where volunteers will place the necessary meal requirements in a box for you.

Now you bring these foods to your car and deliver them. There’s plenty of zip codes to pick from. You can drive home and deliver your foods on the way. Or you can make a special trip somewhere and deliver the meals to families in the hill towns, in the valley, anywhere.

And above all… have a good time doing this. You’re passing along an act of kindness. You’re sharing the gift of giving.

And then, after all that, you can go home and watch the football games and eat your own turkey dinners with your families, and be comfortable in the knowledge that you’ve fulfilled the spirit of the holiday season.

So does this convince you?  Are you in?

If you are… I’ll see you down there.