The season has changed from summertime to a crisp, ripe autumn, and with that comes an array of beautiful, vibrant fall colors. You may choose to embrace autumn by journeying through the pumpkin patch, planning a trip to the mountains to view the gorgeous scenery, preparing some autumn-inspired comfort food, or perhaps doing something as simple as venturing to your nearest Starbucks for the ever-so-popular Pumpkin Spice latte and stocking up on everything “Pumpkin Spice” that you can find at your local grocery store!

Autumn usually inspires me to reflect on all of my blessings and everyone and everything that I am thankful for. Being thankful can actually be therapeutic if you think about it. Imagine that you are stressed or maybe have a case of the blues; reflecting on all that you are thankful for can really help to put things into perspective and hopefully, challenge you to focus on all that is really important in life. Another way to uplift yourself is to uplift others as you are able. Our community offers many charitable opportunities for us to help those less fortunate this time of year. Listed below are just some of the local organizations that you may wish to reach out to and inquire as to how to donate or volunteer your time and/or services:

1. Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank
3631 Lee Hill Drive
Fredericksburg, VA 22408
(540) 371-7666
http://www.fredfood.org

2. The Brisben Center
471 Central Road
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
(540) 899-9853
http://www.brisbencenter.org

3. The Fredericksburg SPCA
10819 Courthouse Road
Fredericksburg, VA 22408
(540) 898-1500
http://fburgspca.org

I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season and truly reflect on the beauty and gift of thankfulness!