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Juneau charities that only one week ago were looking at meager stocks of Thanksgiving food now report they are flush with feast fare. Leaders at the Glory Hole shelter and the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Thanksgiving basket volunteer drive said Monday that the community has come to the rescue.
Glory Hole Executive Director Mariya S. Lovishchuk said the soup kitchen and shelter downtown has received some 300 turkeys in one week and will “definitely” have plenty of food for its Thanksgiving dinner boxes, which go out every year to local families in need.
“We are totally good on food,” said Lovishchuk, who was expressing concern just last Monday over how much food the Glory Hole needed (http://bit.ly/TJBE93).
The situation was much the same for St. Vincent de Paul’s “turkey drive,” according to Rena Sims, one of the lead volunteers.
“I’m thinking I’ve got enough food for everybody,” Sims said. “When we started out, we were hesitant.”
Sims said last Wednesday that she was “a little scared” by how little food the drive had brought in by that point, but expressed optimism that donors in the community would pull through (http://bit.ly/T7SJZL).
Pull through they did. Sims singled out David McDowell and Myra Munson for particular thanks, but praised everyone who donated. She also thanked Alaska Pacific Bank and Channel Construction Inc. among companies that have supported the turkey drive.
“It just brought so much joy and tears to us,” said Sims, who has run the turkey drive alongside Louise Wertheimer and Paula Sumdum for a decade now (http://bit.ly/UH51HS). “This community is fabulous, the entire community. You know, we have so many people that give from their hearts.”
Sims said her group is giving away more than 500 dinner baskets this Thanksgiving, loaded up with either a turkey or ham, green beans, corn, pumpkin pie, stuffing, rolls, iced tea, gravy, cranberry sauce, marshmallows, olives and more.
“Our Thanksgiving is going fabulous,” Sims said happily. “This is probably one of the better Thanksgivings we’ve had.”
Lovishchuk echoed Sims’ assessment, remarking, “This is a great Thanksgiving. I think this is definitely the best year we’ve ever seen.”
Both Lovishchuk and Sims reported some extraordinary acts of giving.
“It’s really amazing,” said Lovishchuk. “I was at the Safeway the other day and I was actually buying turkeys, because we needed some small turkeys for the senior citizens, and I had $530 worth of turkeys in my basket, and as I was about ready to swipe (my card) … some amazing, wonderful woman just paid for all the turkeys.”
McDowell donated 240 turkeys for the Thanksgiving baskets at St. Vincent de Paul, Sims said.
“He jump-started us,” said Sims. “And then the community made up the rest of the turkeys, which was over 400 turkeys.”
Meanwhile, Sims added, Munson “picked up … all my sides, mainly, and my pies.”
Sims also acknowledged the help of community volunteers, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in putting together the baskets.
• Contact reporter Mark D. Miller at 523-2279 or at mark.d.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (54)
Add commentChicken little?...
Chicken little?...
Not really, KP
It took one person to donate 240 turkeys. Doesn't happen every year.
Now put a note to contribute on your calendar for three months out. All of that holiday cheer will be gone by then and the shelves will be getting bare again.
Every year its the same tune.
Every year its the same tune. "We have nothing and the poor families will starve and not get a holiday..." Miraculously, at the last minute, they are full to the brim with food...
Good Job Juneau
I think it is wonderful living in this community.
Sarcasim
I sense some sarcasim in your voice kpawsuh. It isn't so much a miracle, but the efforts of so many good people in the community. The organizations need to put out a plea as some just need a little reminding. Now please drop the negative nilly attitude, the community stepped up (no skin off your back).
Happy holidays.
Good Job, Juneau!
What a wonderful community we live in.
Kpawsuh, geeze - have a little holiday spirit. I think it's just human nature to put things off until there's a deadline of some sort. But true to form, Juneau came through for members of our community who sometimes need a little help.
Kudos, Juneau.
Hey, without the fantastic
Hey, without the fantastic support of the community, many of these people would have had to use their beer and cig money for thanksgiving dinner...or just eaten at McDonalds and had a beer and a cig...
Judgement
kpawsuh. As there are others more intelligent then me, I will them say it better.
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” - Mother Theresa
“Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
sad and glad
Glad to hear about the donations. After my parents got divorced, I found TG too depressing with a broken family so I started volunteering every TG. I'm always so uplifted to see full coffers.
Sad some people spread their misery so thickly. At the end of the day, what is accomplished by such vitriol? Nothing except nastiness begetting nastiness. Classic definition of a bully, who gets a thrill by raising hackles.
judgement revisited
Kpawsuh. Heaven forbid you are ever in a situation of need as I am certain there are things in your life which others would certainly judge as excess. While I support the intent of your beer and cig comment, this is neither the time nor the place to rant and rave like a petty school girl/boy.
Just know a lot of their
Just know a lot of their patrons. Actually look at fact instead of warm fluffy feel good illusions. Example, an acquaintance who works for the state, makes around $60k. Has free housing. Eats from the Food Bank. Takes advantage of every free meal possible, and takes his family on international travel annually. Cant understand why we dont travel more... I could give you at least ten other examples just in people that I know, but you wont beleive it anyway. Glad you feel good and for those that actually need it, hope there is enough for you when all the others are done at the trough.
Answer
So all knowing and powerful Kpawsuh, what would be your benevolent solution? Please keep in mind that there are many that have legitmate need.
What are you talking about?
kpawsah I think you feel superior when you try to put others down. Sad. I feel sorry for you. I'll keep you in my prayers to calm the bitter spirit. Amen.
Kpawsah intervention
I've been thinking that a kpaw intervention has been necessary for some time. Kpaw, you used to be funny. Now you are just bitter, broken and mean. What happened? Did you alienate yourself from your job and life because of your obsession with the Juneau Empire blog? You know, admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery.
Blessings to the givers
Thank you to all who stepped up this last week and gave. You have received a gift beyond measure, but you already know that. The warmth of heart in this cold season. There is a joy that comes with knowing you helped someone. A lifted spirit. I hear that in the comments of the givers. Those who have reasons for not giving, their comments have a certain anger or bitterness. I think that is why I feel compelled to share. The hoarding makes me closed off and angry. Wishing blessings for all this winter. May you have joy.
Live with your illusion all
Live with your illusion all you want. Guess I'm funny at times when I'm not busy being bitter and mean. Ooh, maybe I'm a complex human! I dont feel powerful or superior to anyone. Thats what makes your comments so funny. I just know a lot of people who scam the system and yet I watch people worry about them so much. They make more than you do! Makes me ill. Sorry if my pointing that out bithers you. I stated that it is great for those WHO NEED IT. I think there needs to be an actual effort to make sure the donations go to people who really need them, not tightwad, scamming state workers. And I have confronted the folks I know about it, but they just laugh and think they are so smart for pulling the wool over all your eyes. There are always scammers, but there has to be a solution. But, I go out of my way to help those I know who are in need, and for more than just Thanksgiving.. I am feeding about 15 people for Thanksgiving, so my bitter, mean spiritedness is only in your eyes...
Blessings to the givers - DITTO
Yes, I guess that's what I was getting at earlier when I talked about volunteering to help with my personal pain. Giving is not about who benefits from the donation, it's about how giving (money, time, kindness) can have a healing power.
kp
You can scoff at me for giving. I will keep you in my thoughts and wish nothing but the best for you. I know there are those who would use and abuse the system. They do cost, but why should they burden the system doubly? First by taking a portion, second by my witholding a gift because they are at the table? If they are laughing at me, the joke is on them. Because I am getting out of my giving exactly what I need. I am not being scammed, I am staying true to me. It is the one that they are preventing from giving being taken for a ride.
I guess I have a different
I guess I have a different perspective. I have travelled a lot and have volunteered for many disaster relief efforts. I know what struggling looks like. I have seen kids starving to death. I have seen entire families living in a roadside food stall, I have sat across from a man and told him his entire family were listed among the dead from a hurricane, I have told mothers that their babies were found deceased. I have watched aid organizations throw needy people out of the hurricane relief shelter as they were not from a hurricane afffected zone. I have been the one to tell a single mom living on the streets with her babies that the FEMA aid was mailed to their destroyed home in LA and that it would take months for FEMA to do an audit, determine the problem and cut a new check. She got $200 on the spot from me, as a volunteer and I didnt eat that night. I have seen 'crats take the donated food for the starving, go back to their mansion and have a feast, while the poor of their nation continue to starve. In the middle of helping with hurricane Katrina, I had to go to Portland for personal business, and within an hour of being there, I had a big, strong, capable but very stoned young man come ask me for money. I had to really work hard not to hit him. I so totally get what you are saying about the giving being the gift, but I have also seen the other side, where the people who really need the help cannot get it, and no one speaks up about that. So yeah, I guess I am a grinch...Im done here. Have a nice holiday.
Wow Kpawsuh! Look at all
Wow Kpawsuh! Look at all you've done! You are SO much better than the rest of us - and SO much smarter too..... You're right, we should have withheld our donations to the needy, because "somewhere" along the way, a couple of folks who don't need it, will benefit...... {sarcasm for the uninitiated}
kpawsa
I don't understand how if you are so benevolent you could write something so crude.
"Hey, without the fantastic support of the community, many of these people would have had to use their beer and cig money for thanksgiving dinner...or just eaten at McDonalds and had a beer and a cig..."
@Kpawsuh
You're not done. You're going to sit there hitting the refresh button every 3 minutes like you always do.
And I find it hard to believe that people in mansions are eating canned peas from a homeless shelter. With all you claim you've done, you've ended up with a warped sense of what it is to give.
Kpawsuh
"I think there needs to be an actual effort to make sure the donations go to people who really need them, not tightwad, scamming state workers"
Thanks for lumping all state workers into your one and only negitive basket of hate you dumb SOB.
suggestion for Kpawsuh.......
For me, part of being charitable includes checking to make sure where my donations are going - so they don't include CEO pay or big advertising budgets. Some folks volunteer. Everyone has their own way (hopefully) of giving back to the community, be it a single family, locally, or globally.
I also think that part of that effort is also being willing to stand up, year round, for what's right and turn in people, even friends and co-workers, when one is certain they are gaming the system - I suggest Kpawsuh turn this person in if he/she is breaking the rules in order to get housing - THIS is how we keep the non-needy from elbowing out those who are truly needy. it would seem that there would be some kind of salary check for 'free' housing, for example, provided the stories above are not exaggerated or 'guesses', which is also possible, given that kpawsuh is only human, after all.
In the end, each of us has to live with his own concscience. If they give, they should do so without regret. If they serve, they need to be able to let go of those few who misuse the system and focus on those they have helped, or work to change it.
And perhaps, Karma will come around for those who take when they should not.
Shouldnt have looked. Easy,
Shouldnt have looked.
Easy, that was not in the US. It was an aid shipment that the supervisor of the port inspectors confiscated. He and his workers at well in their "mansions" compared to the populace who starved.
Style, you did the lumping. If you actually read any of my posts, I was talking about personal acquaintances who are state employees.
Kara, your saying that, not me.
grrl, because I am sick of takers and users. and of self rightous A holes who will bash someone for not agreeing with them. Any wonder that there are always the same people commenting on here and rarely any new ones? Could it be that they dont want to get bashed? You guys are all so eager to jump on the bashing bandwagon that you add a spin on any comment. All of a sudden I am saying I am superior and that you guys are all suckers for donating. No. I said that I have a problem with the people scamming the system and that I donate directly to the people that I know personally and know are in need. You can do whatever the F you want. There are those posters out there that revel in any opportunity to get all up in someones stuff. If there isnt anything to get excited about, you intentionally interpret their comments in the worst way. There is so much that could be said, but you just arent worth it and the Empire would censure it. Keep bashing, if it makes you feel good, and powerful. You guys know so much more than little old me. I'm just some bitter old curmudgeon sitting here in my tighty whitey's hacking out at a computer, spewing my vitriol, isnt that what you always say about anyone who disagrees with you? My bad I pointed out a different viewpoint, admittedly not in the most PC fashion, but there is way too much PC in the world anyway.
Swimmer, from your comments I
Swimmer, from your comments I know you have been there done that before, outside the US. I respect your contribution and the "friend" of mine isnt getting public housing. He convinced a private party to let him stay there for free, and has for years. Churches, family members, friends, etc all are easy to game as opposed to govt institutions that require proof...
Ha ha!!!
I knew you couldn't stay away!! You are SO addicted to this shallow form of attention!!
Peace!
This is a very emotiona larea
This is a very emotiona larea for me becausse of what I have done. When you watch people who have lost everything shrug off help, stating that they will be alright and there are others who need it more, then have perfectly able bodied people who just dont want to work and live of the system it infuriates me. I am not saying dont donate, or dont feel good about it. Swimmer put it very well. Research who you donate to, donate directly to those you know, donate your time and effort, but we should all try not to enable the chronic users. They are taking resourses many need for survival.
Actually you are the one
Actually you are the one bashing by having the first comment say "chicken little" and "Every year its the same tune". It's a "good news" story and you are the one bashing it. Don't start the bashing, if you can't take protests against it.
Love it...
I love how when the first article came out asking for donations, all the skeptics started blaming Obama forthe lack os donations, citing its because we were all too financially strained. Then once the Juneau community came together to make "one of the best" Thanksgivings these non-profits host, all of a sudden the same people are complaining about "free handouts" and making this example of how great our community is, just another policitcal platform.
Yes, we are all hurting right now. But jeez louise, this is our community. Its not perfect, but its the best place I have ever lived. We come together in many different ways to take care of eachother. The Gastineau fire and Thanksgiving are just 2 examples of how we have done this so well.
Its not socialism....its humanism.