Lansing resident Abby Bradley, 9, laughs as she helps her mom, Jamie Kantola-Bradley, left, by holding the bottom of a heavy box of brown sugar last Monday in Lansing’s Old Town. The two were volunteering for the Old Town Commercial Association’s annual Compassionate Feast, which provides low-income families with a Thanksgiving meal.
The holidays haven’t been easy for Peggie Donelson.
Donelson, a Lansing resident, suffers from a condition that often leaves her entire body in intense pain. It prevents her from holding a job, but it hasn’t kept her from the most important task she has. Donelson is raising her two grandkids, ages 4 and 5 — a difficult undertaking with limited funds, extensive medication to pay for and a reduction in her food stamps.
“It’s more stressful this year than what it was last year,” Donelson said. “I wasn’t so far in debt. Everything in my money goes out for those kids. I would die for those kids.”
Despite the rough times, Donelson found relief this past Thursday when she sat down with her family to a Thanksgiving feast of potatoes, squash, stuffing, pie and a turkey courtesy of the Old Town Commercial Association’s Compassionate Feast and former MSU football player T.J. Duckett.
The feast involved multiple donations collected by the Old Town Commercial Association that were assembled into Thanksgiving meals and distributed to 200 families below the federal poverty line.
“I was a little bit relieved I was able to get this and I appreciate it very much,” Donelson said. “It’s a lot of help … a blessing.”
The Compassionate Feast began 10 years ago with then-newspaper photographer David Such. While on assignment, Such observed families spending the holidays not in the comfort of their homes, but in soup kitchens, said Brittney Hoszkiw, executive director of the Old Town Commercial Association.
“(He) felt there was a disconnect that this was being provided through a soup kitchen,” Hoszkiw said. “Giving the families an opportunity to prepare food themselves and celebrate around (the) table with their family was very important.”
Such could not be reached for comment.
Since its beginnings, the organization has been able to provide an increasing number of meals. This year was the largest yet, Hoszkiw said.
“The donations we received nearly tripled what we did in donations last year,” Hoszkiw said.
“I think the community should be very proud of themselves as to what they were able to accomplish.”
In addition to bulk food donations from Paramount Coffee, Mayberry Homes, Spartan Toyota and Olympic Broil, more than $7,000 was spent to purchase additional food for the meals.
Another big factor in the drive’s success was Duckett’s charity, which provided half of the turkeys given to families, Hoszkiw said.
“It takes less money to feed a family because of Duckett,” Hoszkiw said. “We’re not taking on the expense of the turkey, which is substantial.”
Duckett initially visited several businesses inquiring about donations for Thanksgiving baskets, but after hearing about the Old Town Commercial Association, decided to partner with it because of the group’s experience collecting and distributing food for the drive.
“I know I am going to be well on Thanksgiving and so will my family, and I want every other family to have the same joy I will experience,” Duckett said.
Hoszkiw said the state of the economy during the past several years has not prevented people from donating to the organization.
“(People) get creative in the types of donation they’ve been able to make,” Hoszkiw said. “We have students make centerpieces, people make bread or a gentleman who owns a clothing shop will donate socks.”
In spite of the challenges in her life, Thanksgiving provided a time for Donelson and her family to appreciate what they do have — each other.
“My granddaughter had made this thing at school for being thankful — she’s thankful for her aunt, her cousin, her brother and me,” Donelson said with a slight smile. “It’s just being thankful for everything we have.”
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