My Sense and the City column in today’s TICKET section of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune kicks off my annual November fundraising drive to help feed the hungry in our community through the All Faiths Food Bank. You can read the column online by clicking on this text: The Tradition of Giving Thanks By Giving to Others

Once again, I’m donating my entire earnings during November from my freelance newspaper gig — which this year will be more than prior years I’m happy to say!

If you’d like to join in with MC’s drive for All Faiths Food Bank, there are two easy ways to do so:

Online: Visit www.allfaithsfoodbank.org (just write “MC’s TICKET column drive” in the special instructions box).

Mail: Send a check, with the same notation — MC’s TICKET column drive”, to All Faiths Food Bank, 8171 Blaikie Court, Sarasota, Florida 34240-8321.

I’ll be reporting results in an upcoming TICKET column and on this blog as well.

If you’re able to participate and donate money — that’s wonderful, but, as I point out in my column, there are lots of ways to “give thanks” without specifically giving cash … one of the best ways is just by being kinder. The next time someone pulls a bone-headed move in traffic, the next time you’re waiting in a long line, the next time the older person in front of you is moving slower than a tortoise, the next time some kid is screaming his head off … just take a deep breath and be patient! If you’re in a car, waiting in line to buy something, in a hurry to get somewhere and able to hear … hey, you’ve got a lot to be thankful for!