In Zimbabwe's Gwanda district, World Vision staff members greet hungry villagers, who are provided with a distribution of bulgar wheat, vegetable oil, and pinto beans — a welcome gift in this drought-ravaged region of Southern Africa. Across the globe, World Vision operates food aid programs to help reduce the incidence of malnutrition among children and families.
© 2007 Jon Warren/World Vision

It's perfectly possible the early settlers of Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts would not have survived the New World if Native Americans had not showed them how to hunt, fish, and grow corn. When the settlers subsequently had a bumper harvest, it was fitting for them to invite the native peoples to celebrate with them.

In addition to commemorating the day, each of us can continue the Thanksgiving tradition by working to help hungry children and families in this world. This mission calls us to bridge every kind of cultural divide, just as it did in the days of the early settlers.

There are few things more likely to promote goodwill than by sharing our food and the knowledge to acquire it, and few things are more likely to cheer a hungry child than a good meal.

Unique Stories

Children all around the world benefit from World Vision's food aid programs. Here are just a few examples:

World Vision donors are making these success stories possible. Long may this great tradition continue.

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