Tulsans are very generous.

Every year, John 3:16 Mission makes a special effort to brighten the holiday for the less fortunate around us.

This year, the Rev. Steve Whitaker, senior pastor and CEO of John 3:16 Mission, said the goal was to have 4,000 frozen turkeys to accompany sacks of groceries for a family of four turkey dinner.

Just a few days before Thanksgiving, the mission had only collected a few hundred frozen turkeys.

Then, just before the distribution days, donations topped 5,000 turkeys, thanks to the generosity of people in Tulsa.

John 3:16 Mission is a nonprofit Christian organization that has been in Tulsa for more than six decades. They feed the homeless, give them a place to sleep and other assistance to get them to a better spot in life. And they deliver the message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Oddly enough, John 3:16 Mission gets financial support from those who disagree with their spiritual message. People see the good that comes from reaching out to the poorest and weakest among us and offering immediate help while at the same time showing the love and concern born of Christian values.

The turkey situation occurs almost every year. Early donations are slim but somehow by the grace of God thousands of turkeys show up as free gifts for the downtrodden, the discouraged and poor people among us.

Unfortunately, the needs in the homeless community continue to grow and donations to John 3:16 Mission and other nonprofits rise around Christmas and Thanksgiving but lag the rest of the year.

There is great satisfaction in helping others. Helping John 3:16 Mission feed the hungry is a great way to participate.