Happy Thanksgiving: Let Us Give Thanks and Give Back

Today, we give thanks for all the things we often take for granted.

For me, that means family, friends, health and a career. But it's more than just a blossoming career in journalism that I'm thankful for. It's the citizens of Clawson who make all the time and effort I put into this job worth it.

And to show my appreciation I'm going to help make the season of giving a little easier for you this year.

When I was first hired as the editor of the Clawson Patch, I knew very little about this town. I just knew Clawson was a tiny Detroit suburb with its own city government, police force and school district. But after being a part of this community for more than a year, the residents have shown me what makes this town unique. And that alone makes me thankful.

I'm thankful for the news tips. In a small, quaint town, it can be a challenge to find the stories residents want to read about. Your emails, Facebook tips and even the ideas you share with me at community events are all the big help to the Clawson Patch.

I'm thankful for the city leaders. If I need to set up meetings or have last-minute questions about news stories, they try their best to help me with my reporting efforts.

I'm thankful for the community events. There is no better way for me to network than to attend the events you invite me to. The events give me a chance to meet new people, see familiar faces and capture the close-knit vibe of the community through photos and video.

I'm thankful for the reader engagement. It's great to know I have an engaged audience that responds to my questions on the site and on Facebook. Your conversations with each other have led to story ideas and even a concerted effort to find ways to revamp . 

Lastly, I'm thankful to be covering a family-friendly community whose residents enjoy giving back to one another. I will never forget the that left the south side of the city severely damaged. Trees were uprooted and collapsed on homes, branches blocked traffic, and electricity was down for at least three days in that area. But the people of Clawson united. Residents were not left alone to clean up the disaster because they had each other. I love this community for that.

When I think about all the organizations such as the , and the , I realize how much Clawsonites lean on each other.

So this holiday season, I plan to give back in some way, shape or form. And you can, too. 

For the next 30 days — every day until Christmas Eve — Patch will bring you great ways to help spread holiday cheer past your front porch and that will help people and organizations across the area. There are hundreds of supportive nonprofits in Oakland County with heartwarming missions; we hope one — or several — will strike a chord with Patch readers. We hope you'll take part in this 30 Days of Giving and take the spirit beyond the holidays, because there is need all year long. 

Do you have a cause you'd like us to write about? Please let us know in comments or email me at nicquel.terry@patch.com. 

Coming tomorrow: Help spread holiday cheer by donating a new, unwrapped toy to Toys for Tots.