WORCESTER — The saying “many hands make light work” was the definition of what took place at Friendly House on Nov. 24 for the annual Thanksgiving baskets effort.
Dozens of people of all ages gathered to help sort thousands of pounds of food, first to check for expiration dates and then into categories such as canned veggies, stuffing, gravy, and pasta, and then into hundreds of reusable bags that were distributed last week to families in need.
Longtime Friendly House Director of Social Services Josefina Valez, who has been with the community focused organization for over 40 years, thanked everyone for coming before inviting them to take a group photo.
“This is amazing,” she said with a smile on her face while taking in the flurry of activity at the 36 Wall St. spot. “Without this group we could not do half of what we do every year.”
She estimated that between 700 to 800 families would be coming to their doors to receive a turkey, all the fixings for a special holiday meal including the bags of nonperishable food along with potatoes, onions, and other fresh produce, as well as warm winter coats and gear as part of the annual Thanksgiving endeavor.
Valez said they get a lot of nonperishable food from the Worcester County Food Bank along with donations from community members and local businesses such as Food Chopper and Stop & Shop, the latter being one of their “biggest donors” with 150 turkeys this year.
“They are very good to us,” she said of Stop & Shop and the other generous businesses and organizations who help ensure the yearly Thanksgiving effort is a success.
The Clam Box restaurant in Brookfield donated a plethora of new and gently used winter jackets and gear and Harr Toyota delivered over 300 brand new jackets for kids on Monday.
Sterling resident David Gibbs has been volunteering to help with the Thanksgiving baskets for 35 years, an opportunity to give back that he looks forward to every year.
“We are bringing a new generation along, they are going to be the future,” he said of the large amount of young people helping out at the event. “This is multigenerational. Some of the people who have been coming to help for a long time, now they bring their kids.”
Members of the Junior Railers 2013 AAA Select hockey team brought a lot of energy with them and diligently worked alongside adults and kids to help sort the food and fill the bags while Valez went around thanking everyone, repeating “thank you thank you thank you” over and over again.
Friendly House Director of Development Jodi Briggs-Pickett, who brought her two young daughters along with her to lend a hand, said her sister-in-law helped coordinate the Junior Railers’ involvement.
“The Worcester Railers do a lot, Christmas and Thanksgiving they are always there,” Briggs-Picket said before adding that the Worcester Red sox, known as the WooSox, is also heavily involved. “There are so many organizations in the community that help.”
She told the story of a single mom who broke into tears last year upon receiving the Thanksgiving bounty that included winter coats for her children that she couldn’t afford to buy.
“The families are so appreciative,” Briggs-Picket shared. “I am just so blessed to be a part of this.”