All of the volunteers who work on Thanksgiving Day at the INN's soup kitchen in Hempstead make a point of talking with the guests as we serve the holiday meal. Unlike most meals at the soup kitchen which are served cafeteria style, we bring the food to the guests, serving them restaurant style.

As I was serving, I noticed one man, wearing an old green army jacket, a man who had come in alone. He was (I guessed) in his early 40s, his hair was dark, though streaked with gray, and uncombed. His face was weather-beaten, his beard long and uneven. He had the look of a man to whom life had often been unkind.

I walked over to him as he started to eat his turkey dinner and asked him if there was anything else I could get for him. He looked up at me with wary eyes. Then he smiled.

"I have a warm coat, friends, and this wonderful dinner to eat. I am blessed," he said.

I wasn't sure how to respond, so I just smiled and nodded my head. And at that moment, I felt blessed too.

If you have had some blessings in your life, please consider sharing them with others who haven't been as fortunate. Please make your check payable to The Interfaith Nutrition Network and mail to David Golbert, 7 Lee Court West, Great Neck, NY 11024.

All of us can make a difference. Each of us must try.