Her son was barely 3 years old, a toddler handing out cups of juice at a Thanksgiving meal for the homeless, but Susan Dowsett says it was a valuable lesson on humanity. Not everyone was as fortunate as he was, Dowsett told her son, but if the boy wanted to, he could make a small difference in their lives.

The experience was so powerful that Dowsett, her husband and their son have made volunteering for the event a family tradition for the past 12 years.

"It was one way to give back to the community, and it was a good way to get our son involved," she says. "You get back way more than you give. For my son, it was amazing."

Thanksgiving, with its warm focus on food and fellowship, can be the perfect time to teach children about charity and community values. And volunteering as a family also creates memories.

"This was a good opportunity to see other people and how many people are out there that need assistance," says Dowsett, a Honolulu police major. "It is a small thing, but it is a thing you can do."

Her son, now 15, has realized the power of volunteering. "It doesn't take much to lend a hand and help out," Dowsett says. "You might not be able to change a person's situation, but you can make that day a little better for them."

This year, as in years past, the Dowsetts will help with a Thanksgiving of Hope dinner scheduled for just after Thanksgiving — Nov. 29 — and organized by Sharon Black. A longtime community advocate for the homeless, Black has organized a Thanksgiving weekend meal since 1987.

She says families have long been a staple on her organizational chart. They will help with a dinner in Chinatown Gateway Park that is expected to feed 800 people.

Their time as volunteers will change the way they view the homeless and those who live on the brink of poverty, Black says. Stereotypes vanish when someone serves a meal to a hungry person who smiles at the favor.

"When you are out there and ... you are helping someone who really needs it, all the negatives that surround that become positive," she says. "You are doing something. You are walking the walk. You are now part of the solution."

At River of Life Mission in Chinatown, which will serve nearly 800 meals on Thanksgiving, the list of volunteers is full months ahead of time, says Bob Marchant, executive director. He usually has 80 to 100 people — husbands, wives and teenagers.

"A lot of parents want their children to see what it's like to be on the other side of the fence," he says. "They discover that those in need are more like their neighbors than they might suspect."

PITCH IN

Many organizations that rely on volunteer help to serve Thanksgiving meals fill up their rosters weeks and even months ahead of the holiday.

• One of the few still needing workers is Thanksgiving of Hope, the meal organized by Sharon Black, which takes place on Nov. 29. Black, who also needs more yams, pies and tables, can be reached at 398-6665.

• The Salvation Army, which signed up most of its 800 Thanksgiving Day volunteers in September and early October, has an alternative for those who couldn't help with its Thanksgiving day meal at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, said spokesman Daniel de Castro. "We do have other volunteer opportunities through the year, if they are open to it," he said. "Families do enjoy bellringing for us. A family can adopt a kettle for two or three hours. That's doing something." If you'd like to adopt a kettle during the holidays, call 988-2136.

• River of Life Mission does not need volunteers for Thanksgiving, but needs them for meals served during the rest of the year. To help, call 524-7656.