As a child, I was always surprised at those characters in fairy tales who were granted three wishes by some magical genie or talking fish. They always managed to fritter away each wish, thoughtlessly and impulsively, and always ended with nothing or worse.

It seemed such a simple matter to me, that instead of asking for three things, they had only to wish for all the wishes they would ever want. They would have been indulged forever. But they never learned, and time after time, each protagonist was left without anything. Being left without is not a good feeling.

Whether you are a turkey fancier or a tofurkey lover, a pleasant meal with loved ones or friends is a satisfying event. For some, putting food on the table is becoming more and more difficult, let alone a special holiday meal such as Thanksgiving.

As always, Helpline House will seek to make this celebration a happy one for neighbors in need by stretching the food bank provisions through Project Wishbone. Our wish will not be for all the wishes in the world, however, or for superficial items, but for simple food basics for the table.

Help can come in many ways. Families or groups can create an individualized holiday box of food and deliver it to Helpline between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22; you can email helpline@helplinehouse.org for shopping list ideas. These boxes will be distributed to Island families by our volunteers.

Or, volunteers can shop for you: $40 fills a box for a family of four, and $25 fills a box for a single person and guest. Safeway and T&C gift cards are also happily accepted.

Thanks to the continued generosity of Town and Country Market, once again the program of holiday cards will be offered. Now through Nov. 22, customers’ purchases are tracked on individual cards at the check stands. Every $100 spent equals a $2 credit on the cards. Holiday cards can be donated to Helpline House or redeemed personally for food bank purchases. Just let the checker know when you redeem your card between Nov. 19 and 27 if you wish it to go to Helpline.

There is a lot of room on our pantry shelves these days, and any and all help to stock them will be appreciated. In September 25,000 pounds of food were distributed to the largest number of households ever served in one month’s time, and that alarming statistic continues to grow this month.

After all, appreciating what we have, and we have so much, and sharing some of it with others, is the essence of Thanksgiving. Following the pattern of those hardy souls who celebrated in Plymouth so long ago, we too can be grateful for our beautiful island and our personal and community blessings.

It’s a simple matter.

Garnet Logan is a

member of the Helpline House Board of Directors.