The lead-up to Thanksgiving can be hectic. There’s the shopping and the cooking, there's travel and schedules, relational anxiety and all manner of other demands. But the pressure doesn’t stop when the turkey has been consumed. In fact that’s only the beginning. The barrage of commercials, emails and full court press campaigns to separate us from our money is relentless. I had hundreds of emails over the Thanksgiving weekend with “deals” of every kind. It’s a full-time job just to keep up with my inbox.  With that in mind, on this Giving Tuesday, we invite you to engage with us in a moment of mindfulness.  

 

Take a deep breath and allow yourself to focus on being aware of what you're sensing and feeling right now, without judgment. This year has brought ups and downs for us at Sunset Youth Services, but as we take a moment to reflect, the thing that bubbles up is joy. The gleeful singing during karaoke, the chatter around the table at our monthly family dinner (where I noticed not a single person was on their phones), and the genuine laughter at our Friendsgiving Wednesday night. I hope when you make space to pause and reflect, you’ll also remember moments from the past year that bring a smile to your face. 

 

Our end of year theme is “Moments of Mindfulness” and we’ll be posting short video clips of our staff, youth, families and giving community reflecting on their moments of mindfulness in the holiday chaos.

 

When we are mindful we get to choose where we give our time, attention and resources. As you pause to be mindful this Giving Tuesday I’m inviting you to consider a gift to SYS. Your gift enables young people and families to be supported in creative and much needed ways throughout the year. The first $1,000 of Giving Tuesday gifts will be matched. 

​

Would you join us in meeting our giving goals for the year to continue to be a place of stability for youth, young adults and families in need?