People from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, the Railers Hockey Club and Friendly House handed out meals and warm clothing to families in need in Worcester on Monday. (Photo/Matt Wright)
WORCESTER – There was a bit of a traffic jam on Wall Street on Monday, as 1,100 families made their way to Friendly House to receive Thanksgiving meal ingredients, courtesy of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department and several other organizations.
A mountain of food – including turkeys, vegetables, canned goods and cider – was distributed during the day through the social services organization.
Sheriff Lewis G. Evangelides said Friendly House, the Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the Railers Hockey Club worked with his office to collect and distribute the food to families in need. Inmates in the Sheriff’s Department’s community service program helped unload trucks that carried the goods to Friendly House.
“I think it’s actually amazing that they do this,” said Rebecca Williams, a mother of three from Worcester who was there to receive food and coats. “A lot of families have their struggles and they need that little extra help. For me this year, my youngest daughter had a liver transplant. There was a lot of back and forth to Boston, so this really helps.”
Hats, coats and mittens were also distributed.
Gordon Hargrove of Friendly House said the coats were collected at The Clambox restaurant in Brookfield, which gave a free meal to each customer who brought in a new or used winter coat as a donation. Herbalife, which works with Friendly House on various activities, collected hats and mittens.
The sheriff was pleased with the outpouring of support from the community.
“This gives families an opportunity to have a nice meal at their homes and share a nice day of Thanksgiving with their families,” Mr. Evangelidis said.
