25 years ago, holidays were a source of stress for shut-ins, as home delivery of the meals they relied on was not offered. Since then a group of volunteers have cooked and served Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinner to more than 150 residents in the Wayland and surrounding communities. Spearheaded by Judy and Tom Kokinda former residents of Wayland, this is a long-standing holiday tradition at Good Shepherd parish. The hub is in the Good Shepherd St. Ann’s kitchen but it extends into many of the volunteers kitchens at home. Pies, cakes, desserts of all sorts are baked, along with vegetable dishes, breads, sides and everything that conjures a true holiday dinner is either donated or prepared the day of in the kitchen at St. Ann’s. Pam Washek’s Neighborhood Brigade is part of the team, and help with providing many of the baked goods. Who are the recipients? It varies. Flyers go up in apartment buildings, calls are made to see if residents are still interested in receiving a meal for the upcoming holiday and the rest is word of mouth. Meals go out to seniors, shut-ins, those who are sick and folks who greatly appreciate a meal being delivered and really enjoy the company. For each resident, 2 meals are always prepared so there are leftovers or there is enough to share with a friend. A special stop is made at the Parmenter Hospice. Often meals for 20-30 people are delivered. This allows friends and family members of those with loved ones at the hospice to share a very special meal. “The hospice residence is truly a home away from home for residents AND their families—it even provides staff who are working a home cooked Thanksgiving meal!” Andrea Heinlein, Hospice Social Worker.
After 25 years of preparing and serving these meals a detailed system is now in place. There is a core of community volunteers and each holiday, new volunteers share their time and talents where they can. Everyone has their role in the big plan. Bakers bake, shopper’s shop, cooks cook, packers pack, delivery people deliver. Each volunteer has a special bond with their responsibilities. Delivering dinner isn’t a quick drop-off and run to the next delivery. Some of these are long standing relationships. They deliver to the same people each year and have a unique relationship. They catch up on each other’s health, family and friends. They look forward to seeing each other at the holidays. One of the seniors wrote “Thank you so much for doing this… the Thanksgiving dinner was delicious and I got three meals from it. I really appreciate all the people who take the time to help make our day brighter and a little less lonely knowing people are thinking of us”. For some of the volunteers this is their favorite part of the Thanksgiving tradition. Reaching out and helping others. This is truly what the holidays are about.
“For my family, this has been a special and important part of our Thanksgiving morning ritual since we moved to Wayland almost ten years ago. It’s the best way to teach our kids about community and giving back. As touched as the families are to receive these meals, we are equally as touched by their warmth and smiles, the impact of that is immeasurable,” said Wayland resident Robin Jones.
