M.M. Volume 02, Issue 03

NOVEMBER 2025

DON'T LET THIS COUNTRY STARVE YOU
When we eat, let's remember the work behind each meal. This season, we give thanks for the care and effort that keeps us going. We thank youth leaders, teachers, counselors, and club advisors.

The seasons change and time moves on. We meet these changes by working with what we have. Each time we care for others, we create a pattern we can return to. Our bodies want to survive and keep going. Through repeating these actions, we become who we want to be. We are learning what it means to live in balance. Young people must work with elders and nature to understand why some people have plenty while others go hungry.

Being thankful starts with noticing things. Notice your breath, water, food, and the work behind everything that keeps you alive. There is enough here to keep us going, but balance doesn't just happen. It happens when we choose the right relationships between our bodies and the Earth, our needs and our neighbors, our giving and receiving.

Many think being thankful is only about receiving. But the person who gives should be thankful too. We are not owed a world that holds us. We are responsible for helping keep it. To give care, to cook, to organize, to clean, to build, to imagine—all of it is important work. We should feel proud to work for a freer world.

People who have faced hard times know the way back to freedom deep in their bodies. For those of us who have known hunger, we can turn that feeling into drive. Don't let this country keep you from feeding yourself. Habits help us remember this truth. They keep us steady when the world feels wild. Whether it's how we gather, speak, rest, or resist, our patterns have power.

Miss Major said, "Get to work, young people." Giving thanks is active. It's how we honor the work that shapes our lives and the people who make our living possible. When we serve others, we learn who we truly are.

As we move through this season, let's give thanks for the hands that create, the hearts that care, and the spirits that keep showing up. Our work, our love, and our gratitude are all connected. Together, they make the shape of our freedom.

We love you,

Maya LaFlamme & J. Gia Loving

GSA Network Co-Executive Directors