This year, over one million people came to Give InKind to give support to someone else. One million people who took action – to support quarantined neighbors and frontline workers and far away family and perfect strangers. From meal deliveries, to gift card trains, to donations and offers to help and just words of cheer – one million people showed up for someone else.

I consider myself a professional lemonade maker. Not to downplay tragedy, but I’ve gotten really good at taking crummy situations and finding some way to turn them into good. I did after the loss of my father steered me into working in technology, and the loss of my daughter allowed me to use the skills I’d developed and build Give InKind. I think that when you make lemonade, you’re not diminishing the lemons. You’re not pretending the lemons never existed. You’re adding something else to them to make them more palatable.

2020 has been a lemon if ever there was one. I don’t have to list all of the ways that lives and communities across the globe have been devastated by the black swan of our lifetime. I would find it hard to imagine a single life that hasn’t been impacted in some way by this global pandemic. Because everyone we know is affected, it makes it feel exponentially harder to reach out for help. But it hasn’t stopped us from helping one bit. The million supporters on Give InKind this year is proof.

All we have heard about this year is the loneliness. I feel that in my bones, the longing for hugs and in-person connection from my family and friends. But those one million people? Every action they took combats the loneliness. It feeds connection, and says “I’m here for you, even if I’m not there with you."

So thank you, all one million of you, for coming to Give InKind this year to support someone else. You are truly helping us make the lemonade, and you showed us how much stronger we are together.