Thanksgiving Food Basket Program Helps 432 Families

Joan Steinford walks the walk.

“I’m here helping because of the need. You do what you can,” said the RTM member and longtime Groton Human Services Thanksgiving (and Christmas) food basket volunteer. “I just do what I can.”

Friday, with a whipping wind chilling the already unseasonably cold air, a clutch of volunteers huddled near tables neatly stacked with boxes packed full of Thanksgiving dinner fixings: stuffing and gravy, rolls and canned vegetables, cranberry sauce and canned yams.

“We have 432 households signed up – 432. By Christmas, we’ll have 500, which is the maximum we can do.  These are the people that are most in need,” said Human Services director Marge Fondulas. “Almost 1,000 households.”

The 2011 Holiday Programs provide food gift baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas and at the latter holiday, gifts for children.  The holiday program, a Human Services program “since well before I came in 1992,” Fondulas said, is geared toward families whose income is 185% of the federal poverty level, or for example, a family of four cannot earn more than $800 per week. In order to be eligible, Groton residents must provide proof of any and all income and provide proof of residency.

“Previously we didn’t have income guidelines, but once we implemented those we found the people most in need,” Fondulas said.

The holiday basket distribution system Friday had a number of volunteers, on site since “all hours” packing boxes, located outside at the back of the Human Services building on Long Hill Road. Recipients first checked in inside and then would proceed in their vehicles around the back to the volunteer table, pick up their box or boxes and a gift certificate for a turkey. An elderly couple, a mom with two young children, a young, disabled man, a single elderly woman, a young family, a woman and her disabled mother, one by one Groton’s neediest picked up food boxes and were grateful. A single elderly woman outside sought the assistance of a younger man with her box, albeit a small one.

“Our typical family? Struggling. People who are on unemployment or just don’t have jobs. In rare cases, people receiving child support. It’s a single parent family with a couple of kids, the elderly. All kinds of households, families, that’s who we see,” Fondulas said.

In the basement, where the boxes are filled and neat, organized stacks of foods are found, so too are a handful of volunteers, not looking for any attention or accolade.

“We had more than 40 people sign up to help,” she said.

Steinford said she’s happy to help.

“And at Christmas, Hank (her husband) comes. We enjoy this,” she said. 

There is still time for families in need to sign up for the Christmas basket; the deadline is Dec. 2. For more information call Groton Human Services at (860) 441-6760.