WORCESTER, Mass. - Veterans Inc. helped feed hundreds of families ahead of Thanksgiving with its annual Holiday Harvest on Tuesday.
What You Need To Know
- Veterans Inc. held its annual Holiday Harvest event on Tuesday
- More than 800 families were given a free Thanksgiving dinner
- The event was open to all current and former Armed Service Members or their surviving spouses
- Typically held in the Veterans Inc. cafeteria, the Holiday Harvest was moved to the drill hall to accommodate more people
For veterans and their families, this year was particularly special, as more people were able to receive free meals. Rather than form a line in the cafeteria at its headquarters, Veterans Inc. opened up its drill hall to accommodate more families.
“We turned the whole place into a big farmers’ market, and we will serve about 800 families today, and an average of six people per family,” said Vincent Perrone, president and CEO of Veterans Inc. “We’re going to be feeding 5,000-plus people in one day.”
Dozens of volunteers helped veterans and their families fill up their carts with turkey, stuffing, gravy, fresh vegetables, pies and all of the other ingredients needed for a big Thanksgiving dinner. There’s always a great deal of appreciation for their efforts among local veterans like Michael Burroughs.
“It means a lot, you know what I mean?” Burroughs said. “Because people are struggling right now, and this is a good thing for everybody. Come together, and you get to see old friends. When you have family, friends and people helping each other, it's a great thing that we can do this.”
For Veterans Inc., the Holiday Harvest is about creating a memorable experience for veterans which will last long after all the food is gone.
“To me, it's a blessing because this is time for me to see other veterans that I haven't seen for years,” said Carl Evans, a local veteran.
"If there's ever a heartwarming moment for Veterans Inc., it's events like the Holiday Harvest,” said Denis Leary, executive director of Veterans Inc. “I mean, specifically, it is our opportunity to say thank you.”
The event was open to all current and former Armed Service Members or their surviving spouses who need food for their household.