Thankful, Grateful, Blessed

By PJ Martin

Editor

The Herald-News

 

Thankful, grateful, blessed. You see that phrase on shirts and plaques everywhere, but how many of us really are thankful, grateful, or feel we are blessed?

You don’t have to be rich to be happy and you don’t have to live in a big mansion either. Some of the poorest people I’ve known have been the most giving and the happiest. Perhaps there is a connection there many of us aren’t seeing.

According to census data, 19.3% of Metcalfe County’s estimated 10,370 residents live in poverty. That’s just over 2,001 people in Metcalfe County and part of those are children. Think about that for a minute.

If you have a job, food on your table, clothes to wear, and a roof over your head, then you are truly blessed and you should be thankful and grateful.

There are several programs in the county helping to provide for those who need the help. There is no shame in asking for help if you truly need it.

I’m not talking about the lazy folks who just can’t get their behind out of bed, change out of their pajamas, and go to work, I’m talking about the people who work every day and still can’t afford to feed their family and provide for their needs. I’m talking about the elderly who have worked hard all their life and have to decide between food and medicine.

Bowling Park has a large food pantry that helps the 19.3% who are food insecure. They also have a place for a limited number of homeless to stay. They are a blessing to the whole community.

Some of our local churches have blessing boxes where the hungry can find food items and a few have food pantries as well. They offer help to anyone who comes to them.

The school system has the Family Resource Center that helps students get medical treatment, school supplies, warm clothes, and a backpack program that sends food home with children who don’t have enough.

Community Action has a program that helps the elderly and families in need who qualify for heating assistance in the winter and cooling assistance in the summer. Plus, we are soon to have a Community Medical Care facility that will help those who need medication, dentures, and hearing aids.

Our Farmer’s Market works with Senior Nutrition, SNAP, and WIC. They help get fresh local food to the people who need it.

I have worked in factories where boxes were passed around asking for help for people who have lost everything in house fires, floods, medical tragedies, etc. Even though most of them don’t know the people, they still give money and clothes.

The I Am’s Mission Store at Knob Lick provides items to those who need help, free of charge thanks to the donations of others.

Metcalfe County may not be the largest county in Kentucky, but there are many good people here doing whatever they can to help others.

So the next time you walk in your front door look around. Are you thankful for what you see? Are you grateful for what God has given you? Are you blessed?