Shannon Daugherty gives instructions for putting pies and rolls into paper bags for Thursday's delivery.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The parish hall at All Saints Episcopal Church was abuzz with the activity of more than two dozen volunteers of all ages on Wednesday evening.
All the potato peeling, pie packaging and cranberry sauce portioning was in preparation to ensure nearly 200 local seniors would have a Thanksgiving feast this Thursday.
"Over 35 years, you just figure out a way to make it happen," coordinator Shannon Daugherty said, snapping her fingers. "We've got this down to a science."
The annual event is hosted by the church and plenty of parishioners volunteeer, but many of them are also related so it's become something of a family affair.
Daugherty's mother, Diane Bleau, spearheaded the effort and she has worked her way up through the ranks in a way, starting at the kids' table scooping out cranberry sauce into plastic cups.
"There's a lot of family here," she said, pointing to cousins, in-laws and children, and her sister in the office. "Our kids are all here ... we've got family and friends."
The tasks on Wednesday included peeling nearly 100 pounds of potatoes, slicing up some 30 pumpkin pies, bagging the pie slices and rolls to go with each meal. The turkeys and mashed potatoes are cooked on Thanksgiving morning along with stuffing, and peas and carrots that are then served assembly line style for delivery. The food is provided through donations and the Northern Berkshire United Way.
"My cousin and I will be down here about 5:30 tomorrow morning putting turkeys in the oven and ready, and then everybody else will show up around 11," Daugherty said.
The effort involves a host of volunteers who show up on Thanksgiving morning to sweep away the pre-served, homemade meals to people who have registered for a visit.
While their prepping to feed those with nowhere, they've made their own arrangements for family get-together once it's all over and done.
Daugherty said the numbers have dipped a little bit, and she thinks that's because the baby boomers has "popped." But they're prepared for any last-minute calls on Thursday morning.
"One year I think we had a homeless man was out front and we invited him in," she said. "It's not our main population, you know, but if someone's out there we can help, we will. ...
"The Police Department, the Fire Department, we call them too and send them meals if we have any."
Her cousin, Syid Uqdah, said if they have any leftovers, they have figure out what to do with them so it makes sense to offer them to people working on Thanksgiving.
"Whoever's in need, we're here to feed them," he said.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
North Adams Public Schools To Host Grade Configuration Forum
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — North Adams Public Schools will host a community forum to discuss updates on grade configurations and logistics for the 2024-2025 school year.
The forum will take place on Wednesday, May 15 at 6 PM. The forum will take place in a hybrid format at the Welcome
Center at Brayton Elementary School and via Zoom which can be accessed by going to napsk12.org/ZoomLinkMay15.
Forums are open to anyone interested in learning more about the logistics planned for the upcoming school year, including, transportation, arrival and dismissal times, class sizes, and school choice updates. The forum will also allow participants to ask questions and provide feedback.
For questions, please contact the Family and Community Outreach Coordinator, Emily Schiavoni at 413-412-1106 or at eschiavoni@napsk12.org.
This spring weekend, there are a variety of events in and around the Berkshires, including Spring Celebrations, music, cleanups, and more.
click for more
More than 300 students from area high schools entered their work in 12th annual Teen Invitational at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. click for more
Backed by a $750,000 federal grant for a planning study, North Adams and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art are looking to undo some of that damage.
click for more
"It wasn't 100 percent consistent but I was afforded the opportunity to get to know other people with different religion, beliefs, backgrounds and culture and to be able to embrace that." click for more