SUNDERLAND — After the success of the South County Senior Center’s Friendsgiving event last month, the group is now seeking volunteers to help package and deliver meals on Christmas morning for less fortunate seniors in the community.
With 106 people participating in November’s Friendsgiving, which provided a free Thanksgiving meal to seniors in Deerfield, Sunderland and Whately, Senior Center Director Jennifer Remillard and Board of Oversight Chair Tom Fydenkevez said they “noticed a need” for holiday meals in southern Franklin County and figured they could address some of that need and bring some cheer into people’s lives with a Christmas Day meal.
“It’s something the Senior Center has noticed,” Remillard said about the need for food among the area’s seniors. “We collaborated on how to approach the need … and we came up with the idea of utilizing the Sunderland Congregational Church’s kitchen.”
Using the church’s kitchen as a preparation area and the Senior Center’s administrative offices, 22 Amherst Road, as a pickup location, the South County Senior Center will be offering free Christmas Day meals beginning at 10 a.m. Seniors or anyone who knows one who lives in the area can call Remillard at 413-665-9508 or Program Coordinator Sue Corey at 413-665-9508 to register for a free meal.
Remillard asks that people register for meals by Dec. 21.
The Senior Center is planning to prepare turkey, mashed potatoes and butternut squash, which, as they were for Friendsgiving, are being donated by local businesses including Leo’s Table and Ciesluk’s Market.
While the Senior Center has some volunteers already, more are needed to help package and to deliver meals to homebound seniors in the three towns on Christmas morning as well. Fydenkevez said “sometimes the hardest thing” about finding volunteers is just asking for help, noting that the people of Deerfield, Sunderland and Whately are very supportive of their neighbors.
“There’s a lot of good people out there,” Fydenkevez said. “We have a great community and people respond really well. I think it’s the least that we can do.”
Remillard added that the “community is struggling in so many ways,” but neighbors and friends have stepped up to help “make a difference.”
Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Remillard at 413-665-2141 or email her at scsc@town.deerfield.ma.us. Volunteers would be expected to arrive at the Sunderland Congregational Church at 8:30 a.m. on Christmas Day to begin packaging meals. Deliveries will go out when pickup begins at 10 a.m.
Monetary donations for the Christmas meals will also be accepted and can be mailed to the South County Senior Center at PO Box 225, Sunderland MA with “Holiday Meal” written in the memo line.
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.