For many of us, Thanksgiving is a celebration of abundance. We associate the holiday with tables heaped high with turkey, stuffing, and other delicious foods. Unfortunately, many Springfield area residents cannot afford to put food on their table throughout the year. For these people, Thanksgiving can be an especially stressful and challenging time.
When Daydie Hochberg, of blessed memory, recognized this inequity, she decided to do something about it. She celebrated her 70th birthday by establishing a special fund to buy Thanksgiving food for her hungry neighbors. Daydie’s Thanksgiving Fund, a program of Rachel’s Table, the food rescue program of the Jewish Federation of Western MA, has enabled thousands of residents in Western Massachusetts to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Rachel’s Table has been alleviating hunger in our community for 27 years. More than 250 volunteers pick up food six days a week from restaurants, supermarkets, farmer’s markets, and caterers and bring the food to homeless shelters, soup kitchens and agencies in the Springfield area and throughout western MA. This reduces the waste of food resources and brings nourishment to our hungry neighbors.
Last year, the Thanksgiving Fund of Rachel’s Table provided more than 550 Thanksgiving dinners (turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, vegetables, rolls, cranberry sauce, and pies) to agencies that feed the hungry. These included: Kate’s Kitchen, the Center for Human Development, LaVoz, Tapestry Health, Community Survival Center, and the Ronald McDonald House to name just a few. We also bring kosher turkeys through our Essen-tials program.
Your donation of $25 buys a complete Thanksgiving meal for four. Please join Rachel’s Table as we provide Thanksgiving meals to our hungry neighbors by donating to Daydie’s Thanksgiving Fund. Donate https://feedwma.org/donate/ and specify Daydie’s Thanksgiving Fund in the optional box or call 413-733-0084 by November 20th.