'It brings me a lot of joy.' Volunteers feed hundreds at Thanksgiving food giveaway
On a quiet Saturday morning the week before Thanksgiving, while masses of local residents were out scouting pre-Black Friday deals, about a dozen volunteers set up shop in Memorial Park in Beacon.
Their mission: to distribute hundreds of pounds of produce, all fresh and free of charge to those in need.
There, just behind the middle school, a line hundreds deep stretched the perimeter of the ball field, wrapping around the third base line and out of sight from behind the dugout where a neat row of folding tables showcased the morning’s bounty: frozen chicken and turkeys, plus plant-based options; eggs, greens and herbs, baked goods, fresh and frozen fruit.
“We are here for people to take what they need,” said Jamie Levato, executive director of Fareground, the Hudson Valley-based nonprofit hosting the food giveaway. “We’re here to provide a pleasant and welcoming environment where everybody feels safe and comfortable.”
More: Gift cards, holiday dinners: How Holiday Helping Hand is assisting Dutchess residents
Aside from the number of people in each household served, volunteers do not ask for names, addresses or any personal information, and no proof of income or eligibility is required.
The grocery items are donated by and purchased from various local farms, in part through a NourishNY grant, as well as sourced from the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, of which Fareground is a member.
What began a decade ago as a pop-up, pay-what-you-can community meal quickly evolved into regular food distributions and free markets, as well as a series of “tiny free pantries” throughout Beacon, Fishkill, Wappingers and Newburgh.
The need for regular fresh food supply in the area was laid bare during the pandemic, when thousands of local residents were laid off or out of work altogether, Levato said, “but that really just shone a light on a need that was there all along.”
Even as folks have gradually returned to work and life begins to resemble something normal, Levato said, factors such as inflation, wage stagnation, local housing shortages and skyrocketing medical costs have noticeably exacted their toll.
“We see a greater need around the holidays especially,” Levato said. “Even someone who was maybe making do with groceries from month to month needs some extra help to pull together a big family meal or two.”
The pre-Thanksgiving distribution usually draws the largest crowd of the year.
“This is the meaning of Thanksgiving,” said New York Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson, a Newburgh Democrat representing parts of Dutchess, Ulster and Orange counties. “I just think it’s great that all the communities in the area come together to help those who are in need so that they can celebrate as they should.”
For Yvonne Bateman, a longtime volunteer and Fareground board member, volunteering is her calling.
“It’s all about giving back to the community,” she said. “I grew up helping,” following in the footsteps of her parents, who were active in their community in Jamaica.
Upon moving to the Hudson Valley in the late ‘90s, Bateman started with a food distribution and delivery practice of her own before being recruited by Fareground.
“I love the people – I get a chance to talk to them, see their faces,” she said. “If they need something we don’t have here, I can sometimes make arrangements to drop it off for them. It brings me a lot of joy.”
The next Fareground food distribution is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 22 at Memorial Park in Beacon. Fareground efforts are supported in part by donations from the Holiday Helping Hand campaign in partnership with the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region.
Holiday Helping Hand
To donate, visit uwdor.org/hhh23 or mail a check to Holiday Helping Hand, United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region, 75 Market St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. Checks should be made payable to Holiday Helping Hand.
All donations go directly to Dutchess County organizations to serve those in need.
From Nov. 17-30, the following donations have been made to the 2023-24 Holiday Helping Hand campaign, totaling $3,951.56:
Anonymous, $25.66
Anonymous, $102.65
Natalie & Chris Thorsen, $51.32
Paul Rich, $50
Anonymous, $50
Anonymous, $100
Philip & Frances Shepherd, $100
Gerald & Helene Lutz, $50
In Memory of Dorthy & Alden Traver, From Charlie Traver, $100
Andrew & Kristine MacDonald, $100
Allan L Haines, $50
In Memory of Jerry & Shirley Delaney and Chris Hunt, Jr, From Michael & Debra Brown, $100
Anonymous, $5
In Memory of Dominick & Helen Palmeri From Norbert & Maryanne Hart, $25
Ann S Mercer, $50
In Memory of Our Parents Lorraine & Bob Goeway, and Bea & Mike Grega, from Linda Stow & Vincent Grega, $100
Dorothy Tervenski, $50
Nancy Ann Krisniski, $25
Shirley & Richard Granda, $50
In Memory of Erin Shanley, From Valerie Shanley, $100
Philip & Frances Shepherd, $100
The Lunch Bunch, $50
Anonymous, $100
Anonymous, $100
Edgar & Phyllis Stamy, $25
Anonymous, $16
In Loving Memory of Our Daughter, From Richard & Elizabeth Dorsey, $100
Anonymous, $100
In Memory of Emma L Whitehead, $25
In Memory of Our Parents, From L.K. & Girjesh Parashar, $75
Karen and Jim O'Brien, $153.98
Shirley & Richard Granda, $40
Anonymous, $256.64
In Memory of Erin Shanley, From Valerie Shanley, $100
Anonymous, $25
Bernard & Shirley Handel, $150
In Memory of Olive H Doty, From Cynthia Doty Stirling, $50
John & Barbara Marmillo, $100
In Memory of my husband, Gerald C Becker, and Daughter, Betsy M Mulder, From Margie Becker, $100
In Memory of R. Trueman Witherwax, From Dorothy Witherwax, $25
Anonymous, $50
Anonymous, $50
John & Harriet Furey, $250
In Memory of T-Bone, From Anonymous, $20
In Memory of My Husband Vince Libretti, From Rose Libretti, $100
Frank & Rose Van Zanten, $300
Kathy Hogan
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Thanksgiving food giveaway helps hundreds of Hudson Valley families
