When a meal is especially enjoyable, diners will often comment that the chef put his foot into a meal. It is a way of saying that in addition to the herbs and spices, the chef added a bit of his soul.

Thanksgiving dinner is like that for me. I have been preparing the holiday meal for 13 years. It is a lot of work, but I truly enjoy it. The preparation becomes a kind of meditation for me. I attain a transcendental state wherein I become one with the food; each ingredient is a part of me that I add with unselfish, loving care. There is nothing more gratifying than to see my family and guests content and full following my meal – it is a sign that they have tasted my soul and found it to their liking.

Thanksgiving is truly a time to share your soul, to put your foot into life as it were. Of course this entails more than preparing a moist turkey, which is why so many Americans take this opportunity to donate time or food to the homeless and others visit the elderly or hold hands in pediatric wards of hospitals. All such gestures are noble and important approaches to sharing our blessings. But just as our souls are ever expanding so too should our generosity extend beyond this week.

I was recently asked what we could all do to advance the values of faith and family. Quite a question for a journeyman actor, but I am game. Beyond exercising responsible sexual behavior in order to insure that one does not become part of the problem of single parenthood, there is no other way but to demonstrate the importance of these values through living them. Preaching is great, but the folks that are really influencing lives and attitudes are the ones that roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty.

In addition to the methods of sharing mentioned above, I am partial to the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. As important as it is to feed the physical hunger of the homeless, it is also important to fill the emotional and intellectual emptiness of children. It is possible to do that spending as little as one hour a week.

According to information on the organization’s website, a study demonstrated that boys and girls that participated in the program for 18 months were 46% less likely to use illegal drugs, 27% less likely to use alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip class and had better relationships with family and peers. Minority children fared especially well with 70% of minority kids less likely to initiate drug use. In short, participation in Big Brothers/ Big Sisters increased the chances of so many children to have success later in life.

I recall my introduction to the Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles. During my orientation, I sat in a room of perhaps 15 men all interested in being partnered with a little brother. As I looked around, I noticed that I was the only Black man in the room. After being finger printed and sitting through an initial interview with a social worker, I thumbed through a book of applications and photographs two inches thick of boys, most of whom were Black, waiting for big brothers.

There is nothing scientific involved in this observation, it is purely anecdotal. Nor is this meant to be an indictment of Black men – just a call to arms. From what I am told by representatives of the organizations, my experience was normal. There are children waiting.

As we celebrate our blessings this holiday season, let’s think about ways in which we can share a bit of our knowledge, a bit of our wisdom, a bit of our love and a very little bit of our time. Let’s give some thought to putting our feet in the true spirit of Thanksgiving.

Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.