EnglishHaitian CreoleSpanish

Bridgeport Rescue Mission brings Thanksgiving feasts to 150 Carver families

St. Luke’s School student volunteers

St. Luke’s School student volunteers

The Bridgeport Rescue Mission blessed the Carver community this Thanksgiving with 150 turkeys and all the trimmings for our families.

To help us offload the humungous truck was a team of students from St. Luke’s School, a close Carver partner for decades. Carver’s Chief Program Officer Brian Alert and Director of Elementary School Based Programs Tricia Massucco guided the day’s efforts.

As joyous as this project was, and as deeply grateful as the Carver community is for this profound demonstration of generosity, we are still saddened by the unacceptable reality of hunger in our midst. Each of the 150 families receiving these gifts were identified by Carver part-time staff (most of whom are daytime teachers) working in the 17 Norwalk K-12 public schools and Side By Side Charter School in which Carver operates its before- and after-school programs. The Thanksgiving dinners will be given to each family discretely.

Carver’s Brian Alert (middle) standing with Bridgeport Rescue Mission staff

Carver’s Brian Alert (middle) standing with Bridgeport Rescue Mission staff

Nearly 30 million children in the United States qualified for free or reduced-cost lunches at school in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated food insecurity among children, as the estimated number of food-insecure kids could jump from 11 million to an estimated 18 million, according to Feeding America.

COVID has of course made this year’s Thanksgiving Day strange and stressful for most everyone. For example, not snow, not rain, not gusting winds or the Great Depression have caused the cancellation of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in its 96-year history. The parade still seems poised to power through the pandemic tomorrow, albeit a parade that will be one block long, not the usual two miles. Those high school bands from around the country will not be marching, and instead of some 2,000 balloon handlers to coordinate, there will only be about 130.

Many of you may have had a difficult year this year with illness, loss, uncertain employment, and isolation due to COVID-19. We are so grateful for all the sacrifices that our many donors and volunteers have made this year to support and serve others and the Carver community. May this Thanksgiving be a time for you to rest and reflect on all that you have achieved for others. Wishing you a joyful and blessed day and better days ahead!