One Great Bend man has found the spirit of Thanksgiving and is acting on it.  Joseph Trimmer, a young oil field pipe repair worker, was inspired last week after witnessing an act of kindness, and since then, has made Thanksgiving a reality for 28 families in the Great Bend area, and counting.
Tuesday morning, the Tribune received a tip that a man was giving away turkeys to people in the community.  It was a Thanksgiving tale that demanded to be told, and thanks to social media, Trimmer responded to a request and shared his story.  
Two years ago, Trimmer lost his mother, and last year he lost his dad.  Times have been tough, especially for oil field related workers in the area, so in an effort to brighten the upcoming holiday a little, last week his employer sent him to the store to purchase turkeys  for himself and his coworker.
When he arrived at the store, he saw a disabled woman in need of help getting her things to her car.  Another woman came to the rescue, and it touched his heart.  He went into the store, he said, and purchased a vase of flowers and found the woman in the store and gave them to her.  
“She thanked me for making her day, and I told her that she, actually, had made my day,” he said.  “We both kind of teared up a little.  I didn’t even know her.”
The exchange made him feel so good, he decided then and there he was going to collect as many donations for turkeys as he could so he could give them to others so they could have a nice Thanksgiving holiday.  He had no idea the outpouring that was to come.
“Since last Wednesday, in the last four or five days, I’ve taken seven donations to the Family Crisis Center, and 21 donations to different families in the area,” he reported.  
The experience has certainly been a rewarding one for Trimmer, and it has him thinking about the possibilities for the future.  He’s received monetary donations from some area businesses and from many individuals.  Several of the families he has delivered to have been headed by single mothers who are struggling.  As word has spread, he’s been contacted by people who have directed him to families in need.
“There have been a lot of hugs and tears shared by them and by me,” Trimmer said.  One family sticks in his heart.  He arrived with a Turkey and trimmings, and one of the young children looked up to him and told him, “Wow, you are just a nice man.”
Trimmer said he is so thankful for the outpouring of community support that has made his mission possible.  After all, he is struggling himself.  Still, in the evenings and into the night, he’s been making deliveries and spreading good cheer.
“It’s been really cool,” he said.  “I’m so thankful I can do this.”