By Dan Elliott

November is in full swing, and that means only one thing: Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. While to many this means fighting for a seat on the couch during the football game or listening to Uncle Carl reminisce about his road trip to Omaha, others are arguably less fortunate. According to the USDA, 16 percent of families here in the Pine Tree State struggle with food insecurity, with a staggering one in five children going hungry this holiday season.

One resource families in the Midcoast area have access to is the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, located in the heart of Brunswick. MCHPP has been providing assistance to the local community since 1983, and since then has expanded its operations greatly. In addition to its soup kitchen, which is open every day except Sunday, and its food pantry that offers the needy both perishable foods and personal-care items, the program also includes more unique services. One is the Common Good Garden, run by volunteers who use the cultivated produce as provisions in both the soup kitchen and the food pantry. Another is the Backpack Program, which provides weekend meals for children who would otherwise go hungry.

Two weeks ago, the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program held its third annual Harvest Dinner. Dining guests this year were treating to a cocktail party featuring a cash bar and music from local musician Charles Kemos, with proceeds going to help fund MCHPP and help with the prevention of food insecurity right here in our own backyard.

MCHPP operates on donations and through the work of volunteers. According to its website, 1,165 people volunteered their time and effort in 2015, and with the double loop-the-loop we know as the holiday season reaching full steam, the organization will be looking for individuals to help out with dispensing meals in both the pantry and the soup kitchen, which will see an increase in traffic and the average of 150 meals it serves a day. For those who aren’t normally motivated by the thrill of altruism alone, volunteer work is an excellent skill-building activity that is great for network-building and looks divine on one’s resume. It’s also the perfect get-out-of-jail-free card for those wanting to avoid contact with family members that prove intolerable, even those who pay a visit only twice out of the year.

Food insecurity during the holidays should be no surprise at this point. Dramatized by such classic authors as Charles Dickens, there is no single point in the year that galvanizes the problem of hunger in our community more than Thanksgiving and Christmas. Rather than spending Thursday binge-eating complex carbohydrates this Turkey Day, consider volunteering some of your time at your local food pantry or soup kitchen. You need not commit to a lengthy term of service: Rather, a few hours out of a week can make all the difference to a family in need.

However you decide to spend your time these holidays, may happiness and good fortune find you and your loved ones, and remember that turkey meat is nature’s tranquilizer, and can put you to sleep faster than most over-the-counter sedatives today. Plan your travels accordingly.