Like most Americans, I am looking forward to Thanksgiving. It is a holiday in which we have a chance to be thankful for the blessings of the past year and to celebrate family and friends, not to mention having a good dinner and watching Thanksgiving Day parades on television. But that is not the day every American will have.

There are millions of Americans who are suffering from poverty and loneliness. There are fellow human beings living on the street because of bad luck or abuse or mental illness. There are Americans out of work for whom a turkey dinner is only a dream not to be realized. These are the millions of Americans who are forgotten on a holiday like Thanksgiving when the rest of us are warm in our houses and content after a good meal.

Many mornings I drive into Lawrence around 6 a.m. to have my morning walk. Sometimes it is rather cold or windy or rainy or snowing. I am fortunate enough to have adequate clothing to shield me from the worst of the weather. I am also fortunate enough to have had a good breakfast before my walk. But, most of the time on my walks, I pass by folks who are not so fortunate. Often they are sitting on the street, looking cold and undernourished. Often they seem a bit dazed, as if not understanding why they are there. These are the folks who used to be called the “down and out,” Today we refer to them as the homeless. They all had families once. Many had decent jobs and aspirations. Many are veterans who fought for our freedom. All now find themselves lost in a world that doesn’t care.

The other day, walking down Massachusetts Street I saw a middle-aged man sitting on the ground, propped up against a wall. He didn’t look right. I stopped and asked him if he needed help. He was well-spoken but his voice was weak. He said that he had just had a “minor seizure” and would be “OK.” I asked him if he would like me to call for help for him. He immediately said “no.” I realized that he was afraid of the authorities, as so many homeless folks are. I asked if there was anything else I could do for him. He smiled and said “no” and thanked me for asking. I gave him the five dollars that I had in my pocket and told him that he should use it to get something to eat. He looked rather surprised and said “God bless.” I didn’t know what else to do so I resumed my walk. When I returned to the spot a little while later, he was gone. I hope that he went somewhere warm to get something to eat.

I have been thinking a good deal about that homeless man as Thanksgiving approaches. I’ve been trying to think what I can do. What can any one of us do? I think the answer is that if each one of us decides to help a single person in need this Thanksgiving by giving money to a charity for the homeless or by helping serve a meal to the homeless in a church or shelter or simply by going out and talking to a homeless person and letting them know we care, then this year will be a true year of thanksgiving when we did more than simply fill our stomachs and watch television, when we gave thanks by doing something for those less fortunate than we.