McCLEARY, Wash. - Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday for the Baum family. Not this year.
"It's really hard to be thankful now for much of anything," said Mellisa Baum.
Her daughter, Lindsey, was 10 years old when she was last seen June 26 walking home from a friend's house in McCleary.
Exactly five months after her daughter vanished, Melissa Baum is thankful for the support she continues to get from police, the community and total strangers.
A fundraiser and volunteer search are planned for this weekend in McCleary.
"They've come to love Lindsey," said Mellisa Baum. "And they never knew her. That means a lot."
Melissa Baum plans on having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with relatives in Tenino.
Lindsey's mother said she thinks her daughter is alive and will return home someday. She admits it's difficult to stay positive.
"I really thought she'd be home by now," said Baum, "I kept thinking she had to be here by the holiday season, and it's here and she's not."
