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It may be tough for those in desperate situations, like being homeless, to find anything to be thankful for, but they do. Dozens of clients at St. Joseph the Worker — an agency near downtown Phoenix that helps put the homeless to work — are thankful for a lot.

St. Joseph the Worker's Thanksgiving tree

They wrote their thoughts of gratitude on a paper leaf this week and posted it on a Thanksgiving tree on the agency’s wall. They’re thankful for nice weather, family, friends, St. Joseph the Worker and health — physical, mental and spiritual. Some of the atypical ones read that they were grateful to be working for a “truly Christian company” and for freedom after incarceration.

These hard-working, employable individuals are also in debt to hundreds of young Catholics at St. Benedict Parish, who spent more than an hour last week carefully cutting 300 yellow, red, orange, green and brown paper leaves and acorns for the clients to write on. The project was part of a social justice night for students — up to sixth grade — in the parish’s family faith formation program.

A St. Benedict parishioner cuts leaves for the Thanksgiving tree.

Without the work of volunteers, not much would get done in this world. The tree became part of the decorations for St. Joseph the Worker’s annual Thanksgiving dinner which it held Tuesday night. Read more about the volunteer labor that went into the celebration here.

There are plenty of other ways to support St. Joseph the Worker. The agency’s staff made it really easy to volunteer with its monthly calendar guide suggesting ways to get involved. 

If your calendar doesn’t allow time to volunteer on-site, consider keeping your eyes and ears peeled for open positions at your company and your friends’ employers. St. Joseph the Worker helped 334 people sustain full-time, sustainable employment during the last fiscal year with the average starting wage at $10.82. In a sluggish economy, St. Joseph the Worker needs job leads now more than ever. Send job openings to info@sjwjobs.org.

Or start to get in shape and register for the agency’s annual Hike for the Homeless March 7.