In my rush to finish the previous blog post and hit the kitchen to peel sweet potatoes, I neglected to include an important part of what I’d been planning to say, so here’s the addendum:

I AM THANKFUL for all the organizations working so hard to bring education, books, and literacy programs to the people and communities who need these resources so desperately.

Goodreads has a terrific list of non-profits working in these areas, and I urge everyone who cares about these causes to check it out and find a way to pitch in.

My daughter referred me to JWI (Jewish Women’s Initiative), whose good works include establishing children’s libraries in homeless shelters and shelters for victims of domestic violence and abuse. They’ve also set up a fund for rebuilding shelter libraries in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. You can find more information here.

Locally, I know that the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library not only raises funds to support our library branches, but also sponsors a Book Buddies program in which volunteers read to hospitalized children. Check out your local library organizations — you may be amazed at what they do!

I’ll add to this list as I come up with more, but couldn’t leave for Thanksgiving dinner without giving at least a brief shout-out to the organizations that make such a difference in people’s lives.

Do you know of others? Please add information and links in the comments.

Happy Thanksgiving!