Whether it’s about family, friends, football or even food, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. Something just makes it so special. Is it the meaning? Many of us have much to be thankful for.

Aside from my children, family, friends and significant other, I am thankful for the support I get from being part of the largest teachers union in the nation. Being UFT members mean we are never alone, professionally or personally. We are a union family. We may not always agree with one another, but what family does? Nevertheless we always stand up, fight and protect one another from those who wish to do us harm. Like a true family, we look out for one other, all 200,000 of us.

But we do more than stand up and fight. There is a side to UFT members that some choose not to see. It’s the reason we went into this profession and why we believe in unionism: to make a difference in the lives of our students.

Of the more than 1.1 million students who attend New York City public schools, more than 114,000 students — 1 in every 10 — were either in shelters or doubled up with relatives or family friends in New York City in the 2018–19 school year, according to a new report from Advocates for Children. It is a staggering number. It’s hard to believe so many students don’t have a permanent home in one of the wealthiest cities in the wealthiest country.

As educators and as union members, we need to help these children. UFT members have gone out of their way to support these children at school, from providing school supplies out of their own pockets to installing in-school laundry facilities. When I became the UFT vice president for middle schools seven years ago, I started the UFT Middle School Division’s annual Thanksgiving Luncheon and Winter Clothing Drive to assist them in a small yet significant way. Each year we invite approximately 200 children from homeless shelters to our union home for a hearty Thanksgiving meal.

We make the day as much fun as possible. The students participate in arts and crafts projects including assembling, painting and flying model airplanes; making bracelets; and building birdhouses. The children can also have their faces painted, their hair braided and their nails manicured.

But the day doesn’t end there — the most fulfilling part is yet to come. As the students leave, we hand each one a brand-new winter coat, gloves and hat. This moment is the definition of bittersweet and what this day, and the holiday, is all about. It is the true meaning of Thanksgiving. The looks on the faces of the children and the gratitude they display are truly overwhelming. Anyone who has witnessed their reactions will tell you it is something they will never forget.

We just held our seventh annual event. I have been able to continue doing this work because of the generosity of UFT members like you. You understand what it means to be a public school educator and part of a union family. You understand what a difference even the smallest act of kindness can mean to a child living in a homeless shelter. For that, too, I am thankful.