Last Thanksgiving, I was pouring a glass of water from the kitchen tap, a mindless habit I perform a dozen times a day. My nephew, who is five, watched me and then asked a question that honestly, I was not prepared for. “Auntie, why do we say we are thankful for water? It just comes out.” He said it with such simple logic. Of course, you are grateful for the big things, the turkey, the pie, the family. But the water? That is just there. His question stuck with me for the rest of the day. How many of us have that same unspoken assumption? We turn a handle and out it flows, clean, safe, and endless. We use it for cooking, for cleaning, for filling the kiddie pool in the summer. It is the backdrop of our lives, not the star of the show. But for nearly 800 million people, that simple act is a daily, often dangerous, struggle. The thought of mothers and children walking for hours under a scorching sun just to collect something I can access without a second thought filled me with a profound sense of shame. That single conversation is what pushed my family to start a new tradition, one that has forever changed the meaning of Thanksgiving for us. You see, Thanksgiving is inherently about abundance.

We gather around tables that are, let us be honest, comically overloaded with food. We are surrounded by people we love. It feels only natural to extend that abundance beyond our own dining rooms. This Thanksgiving, discover meaningful ways to support clean water initiatives and turn your gratitude into global impact, a powerful way to give back during the season of thanks. Supporting clean water access became our bridge between feeling grateful and actually doing something about it. Think about the ripple effect of just one reliable well. When a community gains access to clean water, everything changes. Children, especially girls, can go to school instead of spending their days hauling heavy jugs. Families are healthier because waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid have plummeted. Women have time to start small businesses, lifting entire villages out of poverty. The gift of clean water is not just a drink; it is the gift of time, health, and opportunity. Isn’t that what we are all truly thankful for?

So, how did we actually put this into practice? Well, we started small. The first year, we decided to forgo the fancy party favors and centerpieces. Instead, we made a collective family donation to a clean water charity. I did my homework first, because I wanted to ensure our money was going directly to the cause. We settled on an organization that uses 100% of public donations to fund water projects and even shows you the exact community you helped. It felt so much more tangible than just writing a check into the void. Another idea that worked for a friend of mine was turning their gift exchange into a giving circle. Everyone contributed what they could, the adults pooled their resources, and even the kids donated a few dollars from their piggy banks.

We then matched the total as a family. The feeling of collectively funding a well or a filtration system was far more exciting than opening another scented candle. It shifted our focus from what we were getting to what we were giving, and let me tell you, that is a powerful feeling. For those looking to get even more involved, you could host a small fundraising event. How about a “Thanksgiving Walk” where friends and family get pledges for each mile they complete, highlighting the distances many people walk for water? Or maybe a potluck where the “entry fee” is a donation to a clean water fund. I have found that when people come together around a cause, their enthusiasm is contagious. It stops being a donation and starts being a shared mission. And do not forget about workplace giving. Many companies have matching gift programs, especially during the holiday season. I think a quick chat with your HR department can double or even triple your impact. If your workplace does not have one, the season of giving is the perfect time to suggest it.

Framing it as a way to support global clean water initiatives can be a very compelling proposal. What I have learned through all of this is that gratitude is not a passive state. It is a catalyst. Supporting clean water access has grounded our Thanksgiving in a way I never expected. It is not about feeling guilty for what we have, but about feeling empowered to share it. The global water crisis is a massive challenge; I will not pretend otherwise. But every well, every filter, every educated community is a victory. This Thanksgiving, as I raise my glass of that miraculously easy water, I will be giving thanks not just for what is in my cup, but for the opportunity to help fill someone else’s.

 References

Charity Navigator. (2024). Clean water initiatives. https://www.charitynavigator.org/discover-charities/best-charities/clean-water-initiatives/

Clean Water Fund. (2024). Support our work. https://cleanwaterfund.org/support-us/giving-clean-water-fund

The Water Project. (2022). Thank you: Words that bless. https://thewaterproject.org/community/2022/11/22/thank-you-words-that-bless/