Food and coat drive following annual Turkey Luncheon part of Thanksgiving spirit

In the spirit of community, volunteers are working to ensure the citizens of Yorkville have a little extra to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

Providing an inviting gathering experience, Senior Services Associates is hosting its annual Thanksgiving Luncheon on Nov. 19 at the Beecher Center, 901 Game Farm Road, Yorkville. The event serves more than 150 seniors with volunteers from the Knights and Lady Knights of Columbus providing, preparing and serving the Thanksgiving meals. The communal experience features door prizes, bingo, and live piano music.

The event precedes the launch of the Knights’ annual Food for Families Drive and Coats for Kids Program running on the weekend of Nov. 23 and 24.

Lady Knight Chris Hamp said every year she volunteers to help with the Thanksgiving Luncheon she is astounded by the generosity and warmth of members of the community to one another.

“Our favorite part is seeing some of the seniors who might not be able to have Thanksgiving with their family or be able to afford a full dinner come out and have a free dinner with us along with all of the fellowship and entertainment,” Hamp said. “It’s fulfilling seeing so many people willing to help us with the event. It’s so nice seeing everyone enjoying their meal and laughing together.”

Hamp said even though serving more than 150 people full Thanksgiving meals can be a daunting task, the camaraderie of the volunteers helps make the preparation an enjoyable experience.

“We have excellent volunteers who help us do the meal preparations the day before, then help with the serving and the large cleanup,” Hamp said. “We receive donations from the community for things like desserts, we even receive rolls and treats from local nursing homes. Besides the donations, the cost is generally split between the Senior Services and the St. Patrick Knights of Columbus.”

Grand Knight Jim Zbella said the luncheon is a great way to launch their season of giving. On the weekend of Nov. 23 and 24 the Knights are collecting non-perishable food goods for the Kendall County Food Pantry and donated coats for children. They are collecting donations at St. Patrick Parish, 406 Walnut Street, Yorkville. On Saturday, Nov. 23, their donation truck is available from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m. On Sunday, Nov. 24, they are available from 7:30 a.m. to noon, and from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m.

“People with donations don’t even have to get out of their car, our volunteers unload the packages and donations and we drive them over to the food pantry,” Zbella said. “People in the community rely on our kindness and generosity. It’s tremendous how many people turn out each year. We even had someone last year drop off over $100 worth of canned goods they bought from a grocery store. There’s a lot of needy people in Kendall County, it’s our duty to provide food, clothing and goods for them.”

Zbella said in addition to non-perishable goods, they are also accepting frozen turkeys to donate to people in need. He said the Coats for Kid program holds a special place in his heart.

“We collect coats at the parish and hand them out to the needy in our neighborhood,” Zbella said. “You would be surprised how many people are in need. We can put a lot of smiles on peoples’ faces.”