Number of Participants: 8
Hours Donated: 1
Value of Time Served: $68
Event Type: Poverty & Homelessness
Sport: Schools
Date: November 20, 2018
Location:
Massapequa
NY, USA
About:
When people throughout Nassau County receive hot meals on Thanksgiving, they will also receive colorful cards made by students at Unqua Elementary School in the Massapequa School District.
Library media specialist Melinda Alford and her husband have spearheaded an effort for more than 20 years to provide a happy Thanksgiving for people who are alone on the holiday. It started with dinner at a restaurant and has transformed into meal deliveries to more than 300 homes throughout the county, including Massapequa, by 50 volunteers.
Ms. Alford said that a person’s economic situation is not considered. The volunteers are encouraged to spend some time on Thanksgiving with each person they visit, which is just an integral part of the experience as the homemade food they are providing.
In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Unqua students made cards to be included with each meal. They traced their hands with crayons, colored them in and added feathers to look like turkeys. Each child signed his or her name to give it a personal touch.
“The students get an appreciation for how fortunate they are,” Ms. Alford said, “and they’re helping make someone else feel special on Thanksgiving.”