Father Bill's & MainSpring provides most Thanksgiving meals ever in Brockton, Quincy

Cody Shepard, The Enterprise
·1 min read

A local nonprofit provided nearly 1,700 meals this Thanksgiving to people in need in Brockton and Quincy.

Father Bill's & MainSpring said this year's Thanksgiving effort was the largest single-day meal total in the agency's history.

In total, 120 volunteers helped provide the meals hosted by Hardy Catering in West Bridgewater. The meals were provided at in-person gatherings in both Brockton and Quincy, as well as delivered to households throughout the South Shore.

"Our dedicated volunteers and supporters stepped up in a big way this Thanksgiving to respond to an unprecedented need," Father Bill's & MainSpring President & CEO John Yazwinski said. "Here in the Brockton, Plymouth and Quincy areas, we are grateful to be part of such compassionate communities that are willing to rally around our most vulnerable neighbors, letting them know they're not alone this holiday season."

From left to right: Father Bill's & MainSpring Associate Director of Donor Engagement Meg Peters, Associate Director of Program Development Kate Fulton, MainSpring House Chef Steven Payne, Board Member David Arnold, volunteer Lydia Arnold and Chief Operating Officer Jon Lanham prepare for the agency's community meal in Brockton on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023.

About 550 community meals were provided at the MainSpring House emergency shelter in Brockton and the brand new Yawkey Housing Resource Center in Quincy.

And the agency expanded its meal-delivery program this year, delivering more than 1,110 prepacked Thanksgiving dinners to the homes of locals in need. The meals included turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, green beans and pie.

Father Bill's & MainSpring said donations made to a special Thanksgiving Fund allowed the agency to meet this year's added costs.

Father Bill's & MainSpring Board Member Mary Catherine Finn and her husband Bruce Ring, of Easton, along with Support Staff Chevonne Little deliver Thanksgiving meals to residents of Roadway Apartments in Brockton on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. Last year, the agency completed its conversion of the former Rodeway Inn hotel into 69 units of permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals.

Pie donors included the Easton Knights of Columbus Council, Boston Bruins Foundation, Table Talk Pies and third-graders at East Elementary School in Hingham.

Enterprise senior reporter Cody Shepard can be reached by email at cshepard@enterprisenews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Father Bill's provides Thanksgiving for homeless in Brockton, Quincy