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KINNELON - Students gather turkeys for food pantries
(by Deborah Walsh - Staff Writer - December 03, 2008)
This year, this group of highly motivated young people -- 12 from Kinnelon High and two from Montclair Kimberly Academy -- exceeded last year by collecting enough funds to provide 502 turkeys to the Father English food pantry. The students delivered them on Saturyda, Nov. 22, and transferred them from the truck to the freezer where they were given to the needy in time for Thanksgiving dinner.
KINNELON - Local high school students did more than just talk turkey when it came to providing Thanksgiving dinner for the increasing needy population. Students involved in Turkeys 4U provided a record number of turkeys to food pantries in the region.
Roger Huss of Our Lady of the Magnificat’s (OLM) Caring Ministry indicated that OLM provides food to the Father English Center all year, but there is a tremendous need for turkeys at Thanksgiving time.
This year Turkeys 4U, which is made up of 12 Kinnelon High School (KHS) students and two students from The Montclair-Kimberley Academy, collected enough money to purchase 502 turkeys for the Father English Center in Paterson. Last year, Turkeys 4U assisted the Caring Ministry in bringing more than 400 turkeys to the Father English Center.
"This act of charity is remarkable," said Huss.
Debra Casha, a parishioner at OLM, who is involved with the Turkeys 4U program, said the students raised enough money to purchase approximately 1,260 turkeys this year. In addition to the 502 turkeys that went to the Father English Center, 336 turkeys were delivered to the Interfaith Food Pantry in Morristown and another 336 turkeys were taken to the Market Street Mission in Morristown. Additionally, 26 turkeys and food baskets were distributed by the Kinnelon Board of Health to local families and 60 were given to needy families in the Montville and Parsippany area.
Casha said Turkeys 4U was the brainchild of KHS graduate Blake Wheale, who approached her seven years ago about his charitable idea. Casha, who works in Montville and is active in the UNICO there, asked the Montville UNICO how many turkeys it could supply funding for and the service organization agreed to underwrite the cost of 250 turkeys. Wheale raised $5,000 to purchase turkeys that initial year. The second year, Wheale raised $10,000. Wheale expanded Turkeys 4U by getting other students involved and $15,000 was raised the third year, $14,000 the fourth year, and $15,000 the fifth year. Last year, almost $20,000 was raised and the final tallies are not in yet for this year.
"The kids are amazing. It is unbelievable how charitable they are," said Casha. "The food pantries told us that the need for food is up 30 percent this year. Many are the working poor, who can’t make ends meet."
Casha said the students are involved from start to finish in the Turkeys 4U program. First, they write letters to families and friends, soliciting funds for the purchase of the turkeys. They order the turkeys from Jaindl Farms in Orefield, Pa. They find someone who can supply a truck and they pick up the birds at Jaindl. They unload the turkeys at the firehouse. Then, they deliver and unload the turkeys at the different food pantries.
This year, Chris Clark and Steven Silvestri, both KHS seniors, served as co-presidents of Turkeys 4U. KHS students John Baldisserotto, Alex Dangelmajer, Jessica Daniels, Nick DePaolera, Matt Diaco, Shane Gregoire, Alyssa Ortega, Brett Rosen, Quillan Snyder and Kelsey Wheeler all participated in the Turkeys 4U program. Devon Keefe and Alex Marino, students at Montclair Kimberley in Montclair, also made up the Turkeys 4U crew.
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