Volunteers Rally To Serve Those In Need On Thanksgiving

The residents of the greater Newtown area generously shared joy and food with the less fortunate people of the community over the Thanksgiving holiday.

At a Thanksgiving meal for the lonely and needy sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, the Newtown Congregational Church, and the Congregation Adath Israel, residents of Newtown, Danbury, Southbury, and Monroe rallied to procure, cook, serve, and deliver meals to shelters, missions, and individuals in Bridgeport, Brookfield, Danbury, Derby, Newtown, Monroe, and New Milford.

More than 750 meals consisting of chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, gravy, applesauce, mixed vegetables, cake, rolls, and juices were served and distributed over the Thanksgiving weekend. In addition, more than 50 frozen and fresh turkeys were delivered to the rescue mission operated by the Daughters of Charity in Bridgeport and Spooner House in Derby.

The most notable part of the event was the overwhelming response and generosity of the many people that participated. Donations started to come in on the very first day that the call went out for contributions. Volunteers from Newtown and surrounding towns (Danbury, Southbury, and Monroe among others) signed up to cook, serve, deliver, and assist in the various aspects of the work involved.

Within 48 hours of an emergency request from Spooner House in Derby to collect turkeys to distribute to families in need, residents from the area donated 31 turkeys in response to the call. Donations were numerous, both from individuals in the greater Newtown area as well as from corporations such as Marcus Dairy and Eastern Bag & Paper.

Cooking so many meals represented a challenge and it was necessary to define a menu that would be both tasty and that could be prepared in a short period of time at the kitchen of the Newtown High School, said Jacki Kulikowski from the Newtown school district, who coordinated the activities at the high school kitchen. Sodexho Services, which operates the kitchen at the high school, contributed the use of the equipment and donated multiple supplies needed to prepare and deliver the meals.

This is the second time that Sodexho has collaborated with the Knights of Columbus in this type of events, said Karen Cook, director of food services. Virginia Hettenbach, also a member of the Sodexho team, was instrumental in designing and preparing a menu that would meet the challenges and constraints of the event. Dominick Posca, director of facilities at the high school, and Jimmy Young ensured everything was in operating order and that the volunteers had access when needed.

The meals were cooked over a period of two days at the high school and then served or distributed from the Parish Hall at St Rose on Thursday, Friday, and Monday. The enthusiasm and turnout of volunteers on Thanksgiving Day was beyond belief. More than 120 people volunteered on that day to lend a helping hand. Complete families showed up on Thanksgiving Day at the Parish Hall at St Rose of Lima Church to help set up the hall for the event, warm up, serve, and deliver meals to individuals in need.

“They just couldn’t do enough to make sure that the help would reach those in need,” said the Rev Robert Weiss, pastor of St Rose.

The generosity and overwhelming response of the community is a demonstration of what the people in Newtown and surrounding areas are all about: a community spirit, working together and helping the less fortunate members of the community when they need it, said Frank Middleton, the event coordinator.

A follow-up event is planned around the Christmas holiday, when meals will be distributed to shelters and missions in the area. A meal at the hall at St Rose is also on the schedule. The plans call for groups of volunteers going to some missions and shelters to organize and staff the distribution of the meals. Anyone interested in helping at these events can contact Mark Dennen at 426-7794 or Frank Middleton at 426-0098. Tax deductible donations can be made to “At Our Gate” and mailed to 46 Church Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470.