Serving Up a Happy Thanksgiving

There’s a saying that two heads are better than one and in Norwalk this week that theory rang true. Several years ago, at a small brainstorming session, a group of volunteers met with staff from Norwalk-based Family & Children’s Agency talking about ways to make the holidays a bit brighter for folks in tough spots. Their plan? Prepare a full Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings! Today, that original small group has grown into a corps of about a dozen volunteers who take on the project each year of giving the Agency’s clients a warm holiday experience.  

At this year’s lunch Tuesday, volunteers provided food for more than 100 clients at Family & Children’s Agency! Manager of Volunteer Services for Family & Children’s Agency Mayx Holmes says the volunteers prepare everything you’d expect at a traditional Thanksgiving meal. From turkey to stuffing to mashed potatoes and pie, the group cooks the food and then delivers it right to the Family & Children’s Agency Drop-In Center for adults experiencing homelessness in Norwalk.

At VolunteerSquare.com, we are incredibly impressed with the volunteers from Children’s Aid of Darien for taking the initiative to help out their community in a unique way. The group has long been a supporter of Family & Children’s Agency and its members stay involved year round in other ways by supporting various services like the after school program and the reading programs at the Agency.

“Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season can be an especially tough time for our clients facing some pretty challenging circumstances, like homelessness,” said Holmes. “This lunch has become a really nice way for us to start the season off on a positive note for our clients and we are grateful to have the support and generosity from the volunteers at Children’s Aid.”

Family & Children’s Agency is a nonprofit human services organization that helps to increase the social and emotional wellbeing of its clients. The agency has been in place since 1942 and supports children and families, youth, adults and seniors with programs like counseling, family support, parent education and adoption and foster care guidance. Last year alone, the agency assisted more than 10,000 individuals in the area.

The holiday season is a time full of opportunities to help your community, and maybe create your own volunteer project like the group from Children’s Aid. One of the ways you can do that at www.VolunteerSquare.com is by checking out the Incubator section. Here, we’ve built a venue where you can easily post your idea for a project and work in your community to build momentum around your concept to make it happen.

To learn more about what’s happening in your neighborhood this holiday season, or to take a look at what’s happening year round, visit our website: www.VolunteerSquare.com.

We wish you and your families a happy, healthy Thanksgiving!