Happy Thanksgiving! Here at Monterey, we know the importance of getting together as a family this holiday season. It’s a great time to enjoy each other’s company, reflect on the year and look toward the future. It’s also one of the best times to give back to the community. Here are some ways you can get started:

Start a new tradition

Since Thanksgiving is all about family togetherness, it’s only fitting that we share time-honored traditions with one another… but that doesn’t mean we should start new ones, too! Whether you host a family baking contest, a household pumpkin hunt, or start an annual story-sharing session, getting everyone involved in a family event is a great way to promote togetherness.

One of the best traditions you can start is to invite someone new over for Thanksgiving dinner. Think about friends, neighbors, coworkers… anyone who you think could benefit from some company over the holidays. 

Reflect on the year

They usually say year-to-year reflection is an activity best saved for New Year’s, but we disagree! Use Thanksgiving as a day to look back on the things that happened to you during the year for which you were most thankful, and think about ways you can make someone else’s day, month or year a blessing.

Get everybody involved

However you give back this Thanksgiving—whether it be by volunteering at a food bank or donating to a local charity—get your kids involved! Not only will you be promoting family unity, you’ll be teaching even little ones the value of helping the community.