“We are still serving turkeys on Thanksgiving day for last 23 years. And we don’t intend to stop,” said Armand Paganelli, the primary sponsor of the Free Thanksgiving dinner for neighborhood families since inception. An army of volunteers, connected to four parish families were serving free Thanksgiving dinner for the needy in the gymnasium of St Martin of Tours on November 24.
“It is indicative locally, what spirit of togetherness and hope can do,” Armando, one of the proprietors of Mount Carmel Pharmacy, Bronx, adds.
Iris Garcia is the inspiration behind the event.
“Would I say, I had lots of problems,” chuckles Iris. “I am a person you can’t say no. I can be insistent,” says Iris recalling the words of a Jacob, former church community leader, ‘Never get no for an answer. Keep pushing.’
Iris recalls an old memory of the Thanksgiving day in Puerto Rico.
“I used to live in Puerto Rico. I have four kids, that time I had three. On a one Thanksgiving day, we had did not have anything to eat, no electricity, no gas. We didn’t have anything. So I went to one of my daughter's godmother house. She liked my cooking and invited me to do it. I cooked, and we eat.” It was on this day; Iris decides to serve people with no food on a Thanksgiving day.
The year is 1993. Iris has no idea how she will serve free turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day for the desperately needy in the neighborhood. She wanted to do it.
She approaches her boss to provide funding for the concept with a promise to handle all the nitty-gritty. The boss Armando agrees, “Let’s go. Get it together.”
St Martin of Tours church gets involved in the Thanksgiving project.
The Iris worked in the after-school program at St Martin of Tours, taking care of children of working parents. She intends to use the church hall as it was free on every Thursdays. Besides, Iris stayed opposite to the gym. Despite the difference of opinion on the utilization of the gym, the idea started. After the third anniversary, the pastor officially inaugurates the event with a prayer.
“We used to cook here right in the kitchen,” Iris states. “For the first year, there were seven turkeys and 75 people came to eat. Now we do 30 birds for over 250 people,” she affirms with buoyancy.
Iris’s daughter has imbued the spirit, “I have some to say,” she holds the attention of the volunteers ready to serve dinner. “Don’t tell us that we are awesome. We are not awesome; we are doing what ordinary people need to do,” she cheers all to serve with joy.
Armando strikes a balance between family obligation and community service. “At some point, you value the worth of showing to the family how important community service is,” he says.
Armando points to the families who make their choice to volunteer, “If your take the whole day, whatever you do, take one piece to do community service, what better is there as opposed to self-indulgent - just eating and just relaxing.”
Iris is concerned, “In two more years, I will be seventy. So I don’t know I am going to cook.” Iris still cooks 135 pounds of rice. Her son Tulio, a professional Chef, and the others handle the rest of the cooking.
Last year was the first time the organizers ran out of turkey at 2.30 pm. The within a short period, Armando managed to provide 30 chicken to until the end of the day. “Got to talk of seven loafs. It was of such kind,’ Armando expresses gratitude.
Like Armando, some of the volunteers will have to drive another three and half hours to be with their families for the Thanksgiving get-together.