Dear John,

Happy Thanksgiving!

It sounds different this year doesn’t it. This is a Thanksgiving unlike any other in my lifetime, and probably yours too. We are in the midst of global pandemic. Many of us and our neighbors are having a very hard time right now. We’re confronting a variety of stresses from the personal to the national. These are complex and difficult days. 

And yet, there is a lot to be thankful for this year. We can be thankful because this year we have seen more energy and passion for making our communities stronger and better than ever before. From Black Lives Matter calling on us all to take the work of racial justice seriously, to the hyper local groups of neighbors who formed mutual aid networks to get essential groceries to homebound seniors who are immunocompromised.

We are thankful that in a time of such difficulty people have recommitted themselves to making a difference through local action. 

Here at San Francisco Transit Riders, we invite you to join us in gratitude for the hard work of the essential workers who are showing up and doing their crucial work in government, hospitals, service organizations, and caregiving professions. 

And of course as our Rider First Awards demonstrated, this year we are especially thankful for the local transit workers who have shown such dedication to our community by working hard to keep Muni running and safe for essential trips! 

This holiday season, we can show our gratitude for the essential transit workers, and all the people using transit as they keep our society going, by continuing to champion our public transportation system and demand its improvement.

This work is critical to our recovery and for a brighter, more just, and equitable future.This Giving Tuesday we hope that as you contemplate all you are thankful for you will join us in gratitude by investing in your local community and donating to our efforts for better transit.  

Thank you for your Giving Tuesday support!

Best,
Mark