With the season of thanks upon us and as thousands of Gilroy families prepare for their annual Thanksgiving feast, the Dispatch this week sought the wisdom of local community leaders to achieve some insight into what there is to be thankful for this holiday season. Below are some responses, in their own words, to questions about the meaning of Thanksgiving.
Superintendent Dr. Anisha Munshi, GUSD
As a longtime member of this community, I have witnessed time and again how we come together—both in moments of celebration and in times of challenge. Our traditions remind us of who we are, and our resilience shows the strength of our collective spirit. My heart is filled with pride and gratitude.
I am grateful for the friendships and partnerships that bind us together as a beautiful mosaic of cultures, voices and shared purpose.
As many of us celebrate Thanksgiving with loved ones, let us also remember that this year continues to be difficult for many of our families. In that spirit, I encourage all of us to look around, reach out and check in on neighbors and community members who may need a helping hand or a caring word. It is in these simple acts of kindness that the true meaning of Thanksgiving comes alive.
I wish all the families of the Gilroy Unified School District, and our wonderful community, a peaceful and joyful Thanksgiving. May this season remind us of the power of compassion, the importance of connection, and the enduring strength we find in one another.
Gary Walton, Miller Red Barn Association
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday; there are no gifts, no guilt, no doctrine. The holiday honors two things: the people who give us love and support, and the chance to build something larger than ourselves. It is a moment to connect, to assist, to create, to contribute and to express gratitude.
Originally celebrating the harvest and people from diverse cultures finding common ground, Thanksgiving still carries that spirit. In a digital world over-saturated by marketing, it is one of the few holidays untouched by wrapping paper or materialism.
Despite the corporate hype, it is not a holiday that exists to mark the beginning of shopping season, rather it is about gratitude, family, community, possibility and sharing something genuine and magical.
Best of all, every day afterward, I get another chance to make that version true all over again.
Pastor Joshua Baek, Gilroy and Hollister United Methodist Church
I’m thankful that I have a chance to serve two churches in California. My wife is happy, and I’m thankful for that and that my children are doing well and looking forward to their futures.
Tuyen Fiack, Board President, Gilroy Unified School District
Thanksgiving, for me, isn’t just a holiday. As a Vietnamese American immigrant and school board trustee, it’s a time when gratitude and grief sit side by side.
There’s an old Vietnamese saying: “ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây”—when you eat the fruit, remember who planted the tree. That’s what Thanksgiving means to me: remembering who planted the trees we are eating from, and asking who is still being left out of the orchard altogether.
This Thanksgiving, I am holding space to be thankful for both the warmth of family and tradition, and the urgency of our community’s needs. I am grateful for the chance to serve, and I am determined to use that gratitude as fuel—to help build a Gilroy where every child is housed, nourished, and seen, and where no one has to choose between giving thanks and simply getting by.
Robert Airoldi, Gilroy Dispatch publisher
This holiday season, I’m especially thankful for my health, my family and for the people who make Gilroy such a remarkable place to call home—our readers, our small businesses, our farmers and ranchers, and the neighbors who show up for one another day after day.
A community newspaper is only as strong as the community it serves, and I’m grateful for the chance to share the stories that reflect the heart, resilience, and generosity that define our community.
