Struggling to meet the need: Human Services needs turkeys for Thanksgiving
by Mark Jahne
Editor
The need grows every year but the amount of food to meet that need is steadily declining.
That’s why the town Human Service Department is holding a Thanksgiving turkey drive. It always strives to provide a holiday meal to individuals and families who are dealing with food insecurity and this year the challenge is greater than ever.
The department relies upon Connecticut Foodshare for a donation of turkeys and chickens to get the effort started. But things have changed since that nonprofit organization went from serving two counties – Hartford and Tolland – to serving the entire state.
“We have worked with Foodshare for years … they’re an amazing partner. They don’t have the capacity” to give this town as many turkeys as in the past because of that growth, Human Services Director Carol Labrecque said.
There was a time when the organization donated 250 turkeys to Newington for Thanksgiving. That number dropped to 48 in 2025 and only 12 are expected this year. Foodshare is giving the town 20 chickens to go along with those dozen turkeys. But that’s nowhere near enough.
Labrecque and her staff are reaching out to a community that has come through for them in the past and will hopefully do so again. Businesses, schools, scout troops, houses of worship, civic clubs, individuals and anyone else who would like to donate one or more frozen turkeys or chickens are being asked to respond to the call.
It won’t be easy, but she is confident that this community will rise to the challenge.
“We are able to take cash donations. We are fortunate that Newington is so cooperative,” she said.
Labrecque expects to have between 350 and 400 households qualify for town food pantry benefits by Thanksgiving. That also qualifies them to receive a free holiday meal.
“They get a turkey or a chicken or a turkey breast with the fixings,” she said.
“Omar Coffee usually donates their coffee” as part of those meals, Pam Wassik added.
She is the department’s financial casework coordinator and is always looking for ways to acquire funding for this annual program. She added that Stew Leonard’s and the new Market 32 have indicated that they will participate.
“They usually give us 15 turkeys,” Wassik said of Stew Leonard’s.
“Pam has been amazing with various grants,” Labrecque said.
She added that her department orders frozen turkeys through the Newington Public Schools food program. The high school has the freezer capacity to store them until holiday time.
Human Services typically spends several thousand dollars on this holiday meal program.
“The GFWC Newington/Wethersfield Woman’s Club reached out to me. They are conducting a food drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.” at the Stop & Shop on Kitts Lane, off the Berlin Turnpike, she said.
The club is asking shoppers to donate specific items: boxed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing and jars of gravy. The store has agreed to prepare bags containing all four items for easy purchase.
“We also need applesauce,” Wassik said.
Even though the task grows more difficult every year Labrecque is not ready to throw in the towel. Human Services has always found a way to meet the need in the past and coming up short is simply not an option.
“We haven’t had to turn anybody away,” she said.
Turkeys, chickens and other donations may be dropped off at the Human Services office in Town Hall between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays; and between 9-11:30 a.m. Fridays. NL
For more information call 860-665-8590.