Through the partnership of the Worcester County Health Department, Diakonia and Shepherd’s Crook Food Pantry, Greene Turtle officials were able to locate and invite individuals for a warm meal from 5-7 p.m., or until every person was served.
Jackie Lensch, health educator with the health department, said her involvement with the function began years ago through her boyfriend, a general manager at the restaurant, and she has since used her work connections to help support the dinner.
“It’s our way to give back to the community,” Lensch said. “It’s a little pick-me-up for them.”
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Sadly I fail to see what there is to celebrate when you have a "record crowd" of people who are in need of a meal
ReplyDeleteIt is a nice event, but really, the fan fare is a bit much. Lets celebrate the record number of homeless and people who can not afford to feed themselves?
This may seem cold and cruel, but I seem to really doubt that there are that many people in this area that are in that dire a need for a one-day handout meal.
ReplyDeleteI truly doubt that anyone that lives in this county - in this state - that is so down on their luck that they have to resort to going to a public event for a free meal handout.
I would think - I would hope - that it would take no more than one phone call to a State administration office to get immediate assistance in this matter.
If I am wrong, then I sincerely hope that along with that free dinner a list of organizations and County departments that could help the situation these people/families are in is given to them.
12:01 -
ReplyDeleteYes and no on cold and cruel.
There is more than a handful of homeless and truly needy in Ocean City that certainly deserve a special free dinner due to their sad situation. God bless the Green Turtle for doing that.
But 260? I doubt it.
For thirteen years I was on the serving line at the Bea Gaddy Dinner - a traditional Baltimore Thanksgiving and Christmas event.
I saw this event go from feeding a few hundred down-and-out homeless people, to feeding thousands of people each holiday.
In the early days I even ran a transportation service bringing the homeless to the event.
Then the atmosphere changed. I noticed that many families were coming in taxicabs. Many of the kids were wearing sneakers that even my working daughter-in-law could not afford to buy for her kids.
It basically just turned into a free food day.
Today I simply work through my church to assure that truly needy families get help and maybe something a little special during those holidays - Again, good for the Green Turtle for doing this. Hopefully they can follow up and make sure that this gesture is more of a hand UP than just a handout.