On Thanksgiving Day, when turkeys are being stuffed in gourmet kitchens all over the metropolitan Washington area, some of our neighbors will be wondering where their next meal is coming from — or whether they’ll still have a roof over their heads by Christmas.

During this high-unemployment recession, losing a job quickly dominoes into a lost home, a repossessed car, and an empty savings account. Hitting bottom often precipitates an emotional crisis for previously self-sufficient, productive citizens who never had to beg before.