Spirit Of Giving Is Alive And Well At Danbury Hospital

DANBURY — This past holiday season, Danbury Health Systems (DHS) employees once again demonstrated their spirit of giving. Rather than accept a traditional holiday gift of turkey or ham from the organization, some 400 employees donated their turkeys to feed the needy in the Danbury area. 

In the past, turkeys were informally donated to area charities through staff members who collected them for various worthwhile causes. This year, for the first time, DHS offered employees a choice of holiday gifts and formalized the giving process. Staff was able to select a turkey or ham, a $10 gift certificate to a local supermarket chain, donate their turkey to charity or contribute a cash equivalent to Danbury Hospital’s Development Fund.

As a result, 200 turkeys were given to Daily Bread, which provides food to Danbury families in need, and is affiliated with St James Church. According to Debbie Christiana, Daily Bread’s coordinator, the turkeys are the main staple of holiday food baskets that fed 194 families this season. “We are so grateful for Danbury Hospital employees’ support,” says Ms Christiana. “We’ve been counting on their generosity for several years now, and it is their kindness that enables us to provide meals for so many.”

The remaining turkeys were given to Bethel’s Brotherhood in Action and Danbury’s Interfaith AIDS Ministry, both of which have been recipients of turkey donations from DHS employees in prior years.