Bags filled to the brim with cans of vegetables and cranberry sauce; boxes of stuffing, mashed potatoes and brownie mix and a whopping 118 handmade pumpkin pies. All courtesy of one college community.
SJC Long Island is helping local families in need enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner, all thanks to a very uber-effective food drive and pie bake-a-thon.
“Thanksgiving is a beautiful time to come together and experience gratitude,” Cristian Murphy, director of Campus Ministry, said Monday at a Thanksgiving prayer service in O’Connor Hall’s conference center.
“But I think as we look at Thanksgiving, we have to remember the people we are helping and praying for,” he continued. “They’re more than just that one can of soup. This food is going to human beings who live all throughout the year, not just on one day.”
Father Francis Pizzarelli, S.M.M., DCSW, blessed the food during the prayer service.
“As we get ready for our Thanksgiving feast, let me pass on something that my mother passed on to me, and that her mother passed on to her,” Fr. Frank said. “There were always two extra plates at our dinner table when I was growing up. When (my siblings and I) were old enough to ask our mother why, she said this: ‘You always want to be prepared for the unexpected guest who might need a seat at your table.'”
Students show off their pumpkin pies during Sunday's bake-a-thon.
More than 50 students showed up to help bake pies.
Student Life's Hugo Morales lines up freshly baked pies.
Father Frank speaks during Monday's Thanksgiving Prayer Service.
The items donated to the Thanksgiving Food Drive were on display during the prayer service, so the College community could see how much their efforts matter.
