Last week, 650 local families in need enjoyed fully prepared Thanksgiving dinners — giving them much-needed holiday cheer — thanks to the fourth annual Thankful Giving Initiative through Catholic Charities.
Above, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney is pictured helping distribute these nutritious meals. Also, more than 3,600 turkeys were handed out to food pantries.
Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta donated 75 turkeys, which were delivered to Straight & Narrow, the agency’s substance abuse treatment program in Paterson. There, kitchen staff roasted them for a Thanksgiving dinner for families.
The dinners went to families of early learning and youth risk-reduction programs, food pantries, veterans organizations, and to neighboring organizations and community partners. Karen Abrams led the fourth annual Thankful Giving Initiative.
In the fall of 2020, at the height of COVID, Abrams and her family were moved by the stories of those in need and the organizations serving the community. She started the initiative with the help of Kathya Arevalo.
On social media, Catholic Charities posted: “We are especially grateful and thankful this Thanksgiving to all of you who share your blessings with us. We give thanks for our donors, sponsors, partners, and volunteers who encourage us, pray for us, help us, and enable us to serve together in our community. We are incredibly proud of our hardworking and compassionate staff who are always ready to assist and to bring joy to our community members every day throughout the year.”