In 2012 the National Day of Thanksgiving will be used for giving thanks and honouring all those in Local Government, from elected Councillors, office management and personnel, as well as outdoor staff and those contracted by councils to do things such as rubbish collection, road maintenance etc.
A second category will be the many Chaplains that serve in communities in such places as schools, hospitals, the business world and through sporting or community organisations.
Churches and organizations are now urged to put the date in their calendar and begin planning how they will use the day to impact the community around them.
In announcing details for the National Day of Thanksgiving 2012 National Coordinator Brian Pickering says "Churches in some 1600 communities across the nation celebrate the day with many making it the centrepoint of their outreach ministry to their community. In all some 250,000 Australians engage with the National Day of Thanksgiving in some form or other. Those who use the day creatively are discovering that saying thank you opens doors that nothing else can."
Many resources will be progressively made available at www.thanksgiving.org.au over coming weeks. The website will be fully operational from mid-February 2012. Many products to assist with the celebration of the day such as cards, ribbons, badges and balloons will also be available for purchase from the NDOT office from late February. Check the website for details.