Highland County Democrats step up to help others for Thanksgiving
Pictured (l-r) are: Jolene Walker, Charlotte Harbut, Joyce Ford, Deborah McNutt, Teresa Grimley, Pam Limes, Carol Gratsch, Carolyn Goins, Mary Hamilton, Dinah Phillips, Linda Griffith, Isaac Howard, Bootsie Robison and Beverly Howard. (Courtesy of Pat Lawrence.)
By Pat Lawrence
Highland County Democratic Party
Thanksgiving was “in the bag” for 44 local families this year, as Highland County Democrats stepped up to provide local folks with full fixin’s for a traditional turkey dinner.
Committee co-chair Joyce Ford says, “Our first year, we were proud to have arranged dinners for 25 less fortunate families.
"Last year, we organized enough for 30 families. This year, there are so many families experiencing hardship, we just had to reach more. We wanted to bring a little light to dark days. Our membership donated over $1,000 to make it happen and committee members tracked down the best prices all over the county.”
Democratic Chair Dinah Phillips said, “These are very tough times for a lot of people in our community. We get recommendations of recipients from local helping organizations, like Community Action and Good Samaritan, and contact the individuals directly. They are clearly grateful, and, often, moved to tears when we call.”
When Committee Co-chair Carolyn Goins originated the idea three years ago, she saw the need but didn’t expect the dramatic increase.
“People are hurting," she said. "We want to help, and we’re glad to help.” She admits there are moments of carefully orchestrated chaos in the endeavor. “It can get crazy just shopping for more than 40 families, plus finding places to store 44 frozen turkeys, carrying cases of canned corn, picking up pumpkin pies, making sure the potatoes are fresh, the apples are crisp and the rolls aren’t squished!” She says a big change this year was the absence of contributions from local businesses. “It’s sad that we have such a different environment now, but sharing with our neighbors brings all of us a little joy.”
On Monday, the committee gathered at Democratic headquarters with a flurry of activity, packing dozens of sturdy shopping bags with all the ingredients for traditional Thanksgiving fare, from the turkey and stuffing main course, to dinner rolls, fresh fruit, canned vegetables, white potatoes, sweet potatoes and, of course, pumpkin pie. Candy, stuffed animals and toys were also donated for parents to take home to their kids. For a challenging national day of thanks, Highland County Democrats were happy to help everyone step up to the plate.