I will never forget the Thanksgiving my nephew, maybe four years old at the time, spent twenty minutes just watching the kitchen faucet. He was mesmerized by the simple magic of turning a handle and getting an endless, clear stream of water. It hit me then, standing there with my hands dusted with flour, that this everyday miracle I never think about is a desperate, daily struggle for nearly a billion people. That is a sobering thought, is it not? It transformed my entire understanding of thankfulness. True gratitude, I realized, is not just about feeling blessed for what you have; it is about actively working to extend those same blessings to others. We read the statistics, but they can feel so distant, can they not? Nearly one in four people globally lack access to safe drinking water. I try to picture that at my own Thanksgiving table. It is a staggering number. But behind that number are real people. Children who walk for hours each day to collect water instead of going to school. Families battling preventable diseases because their only water source is contaminated. Entire communities where economic growth is just a pipe dream, pun intended, because there is no clean water to support it.

This Thanksgiving, consider transforming your gratitude into a force for good by exploring how to support clean water initiatives that tackle this global crisis head-on. Acknowledging this reality is the first, crucial step. It moves the concept of “clean water” from an abstract issue to a fundamental human right that we have the power to help provide. So, what can we do, sitting in our warm homes, surrounded by our own abundance? I found that one of the most powerful and direct ways to make a difference is through financial support. I started donating to organizations like charity: water and Water.org. What I love about them is their transparency; you can often see exactly where your money goes, whether it is for drilling a new well or providing a family with a water filter. It makes the impact feel real. I do not just write a check and forget about it.

 I set up a small, recurring monthly donation. Thinking of it as my “water bill” for someone who needs it far more than I do reframes the entire act. A one-time Thanksgiving donation is fantastic, but a sustained commitment can literally change the future of an entire village. Thanksgiving is about family, and a few years ago, I decided to bring mine into this mission. Instead of the usual gift exchange that always felt a little excessive after a huge meal, we now collectively donate to a specific clean water project. One year, we sponsored a well in a community overseas. We even gave it a name that honored my late grandfather. Let me tell you, talking about that pie felt more meaningful than any shopping list. Getting kids involved is especially powerful. When my nephew, now a bit older, understood that his small contribution helped other kids not have to walk for water, his perspective shifted. He saw that gratitude is not passive; it is an active responsibility.

This approach transforms our holiday from a purely personal celebration into a genuine act of global solidarity. Do not get me wrong, financial donations are vital, but they are not the only way to support clean water initiatives. Advocacy is another incredible tool. I once spent part of a Thanksgiving weekend writing a short, heartfelt email to my congressional representative, voicing my support for international aid funding for water and sanitation projects. It took ten minutes. If we are truly grateful for our own water security, should we not use our voices to ask for it for everyone? Another idea is to see if your employer has a corporate matching program for donations. I was thrilled to find out mine did, which meant my personal contribution to a clean water project was instantly doubled. It is like getting twice the impact for the same amount of gratitude.

The beautiful thing about starting this journey during Thanksgiving is that it does not have to end when the leftovers are gone. That first conscious act of giving can spark a year-round commitment. Maybe it leads you to volunteer with a local river cleanup group or to become a more consistent advocate. For me, it started with a dripping faucet and a curious child, and it has grown into a permanent part of how I move through the world. This Thanksgiving, every time you fill a glass of water without a second thought, let that be a quiet reminder. That simple, safe glass of water is a privilege. And channeling our gratitude into ensuring others have that same privilege is, I believe, the most profound way to give thanks.

References

Charity: water. Annual Reports and Impact. https://www.charitywater.org

Water.org. Global Water Crisis Facts and Statistics. https://water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/

The Water Project. Clean Water Projects in Africa. https://thewaterproject.org

United Nations. (2023). The Sustainable Development Goal 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2023. https://www.unwater.org/publications/un-water-sdg-6-synthesis-report-2023

World Health Organization & UNICEF. (2023). Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 2000-2022. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240087071