Sometimes, the most meaningful thing we can do is pause and appreciate the people around us.
We often celebrate achievements, milestones and big moments. But how often do we stop to appreciate the people who make those moments possible?
For 40 Days Over 40 Smiles Foundation (4040), Thankful Thursday was an opportunity to do exactly that.
It was not a fundraising event. There was no fundraising target or expectation to give. It was simply an evening to pause, connect, play, laugh and reflect on the people and things we are grateful for.
And somewhere between the games, conversations and handwritten letters, something beautiful happened: gratitude became generosity.
Through 10% of the day’s sales at Endiro Coffee, 4040 merchandise sales and individual donations, the evening raised UGX 1,476,010 towards our Mobile Library Project.
The funds were a welcome outcome, but they were not what made the evening meaningful.
Community is more than a crowd
For 4040, community has always been more than the people who attend our events.
It is the child discovering a new book. The teacher creating space for reading. The volunteer giving their time. The parent encouraging a child. The partner opening a door. The business choosing to support a cause. And the person who tells someone else about the work we do.
Each contribution may seem small on its own, but together they create the community that makes our work possible.
Thankful Thursday gave us a chance to pause and recognise that.
In a world where we are constantly moving from one task to another, gratitude creates space to notice the people around us and acknowledge the difference they make.
A letter of gratitude
One of the simplest activities of the evening became one of the most meaningful.
Guests were invited to write letters to people they were grateful for.
Some wrote to family. Others wrote to friends, colleagues and people who had made a difference in their lives.
And then, unexpectedly, 4040 received some letters too.
“I am grateful for the work that you have achieved with 4040. The community you have built is enormous and the lives you have touched are proof that this work is more than meaningful. Thank you for letting us be part of this great enormous change. Forever grateful. R”
For an organisation that has spent years building a community around children, literacy and service, those messages were deeply meaningful.
They reminded us that community is a two-way relationship.
We spend much of our time thinking about the children we serve and the opportunities we want to create. But the people around 4040 also shape who we are. They volunteer, partner with us, donate, share our stories, buy our merchandise, open doors and encourage us to keep going.
Sometimes, they simply remind us that the work matters.
Those letters did exactly that.
Turning community into opportunity
The Mobile Library Project seeks to bring books and reading opportunities closer to children and schools with limited access to them.
At its heart is a simple idea: put books where children can reach them.
A book can spark curiosity, strengthen language skills, open up new worlds and help a child discover the joy of reading.
But making those opportunities possible requires a community that believes children deserve access to books.
That is where Thankful Thursday connects to the bigger 4040 story.
The Mobile Library Project is not just about 4040. It is about what we can make possible when people, businesses, partners and communities come together around a shared belief in children’s potential.
The community we want to build
Thankful Thursday reminded us of the kind of community we want 4040 to continue building, one where people feel seen, valued and appreciated.
A community where contributions are recognised, whether they come through time, money, skills, ideas, encouragement or simply showing up.
A community that does not only come together when something is needed, but also makes time to celebrate, connect and appreciate one another.
Because gratitude is more than saying thank you.
It is recognising the people around us, acknowledging what they contribute and allowing that appreciation to inspire action.
A letter can make someone feel seen. A cup of coffee can contribute to a child’s access to books. A T-shirt can support a reading programme. A donation can put a book into a child’s hands.
And perhaps that is what Thankful Thursday ultimately reminded us:
When we take time to appreciate our communities, we strengthen the very communities that help us create change.
At 4040, we are grateful to be part of one, and committed to continuing to build it.