By Karyn Simpson
Medill Reports

The In Her Shoes Foundation put the “giving” back in Thanksgiving this year.

The organization, accompanied by more than 70 volunteers, spent Thanksgiving Day at Grasmere Residential Home, a specialized mental health rehabilitation facility. There, the volunteers helped serve Thanksgiving lunch to the residents, played board games and made gratitude collages with them as part of the In Her Shoes Foundation’s Giving Back Program. Why is giving back to your community on Thanksgiving so important? “Holidays can be a tough time for people with mental illnesses,” said Kasia Wereszczynska, founder and executive director of In Her Shoes Foundation, “and taking time to truly listen to and talk with people can help them feel supported and encouraged.”