Community Groups Team Up for Holidays

Schools, businesses, churches and political parties broke out the turkeys and stuffing again this year, with the hope, as always, of brightening families’ holiday.

And this Thanksgiving, it was all about partnership.

At , students, teachers and parents joined together to put together their annual food drive, but the teamwork didn’t end there–guidance counselor Kelly Hansbury worked with Theresa Bond and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at Infant Jesus Parish, just over Mantua Pike at St. Margaret Church in Deptford, to make those donations go even further.

“It's just worked out tremendously,” Hansbury said. “It's the whole community helping each other out.”

Between the school and the church, they were able to help 130 families, with about 15 of them part of the Green-Fields school community.

Hansbury said combining forces with the parish was one way to help meet a growing need locally.

“Everyone's going through a tough time,” she said. “We've had to get creative.”

Society of St. Vincent de Paul member Steve Morrison said donating time and food are even more important in the face of that need, and called it reality check on how lucky he is to be able to volunteer.

“Right now, there’s not a whole lot separating me from the other person who’s on the unemployment line or the person that’s in the soup kitchen, trying to get food,” he said.

And as dozens of volunteers swarmed through St. Margaret’s hall, preparing box after box of food to go out the door, Bond said it all goes straight to the Society’s mission of helping the less fortunate.

“This is what Thanksgiving’s all about,” she said.

Similarly, the West Deptford Republicans launched a last-minute effort to feed five families in the township, and were able to find help from Acme in getting fully-cooked meals out ahead of the holiday.

Store manager Ed Bond said the company and its customers find ways to give back, especially during the holiday season.

“We try to reach out to the community every chance we get,” he said.

For committeemen-elect Sam Cianfarini and Ray Chintall, it’s about inspiring others to donate to less fortunate families.

“It gives you a warm feeling,” Chintall said. “Hopefully it carries on.”

Cianfarini deflected any credit from he and his running mate, and said he hoped the message of giving would ring out over anything else.

“Quite a bit more can be done…if someone acts in kind,” he said.

While Thanksgiving has wrapped up, the annual , which will run through the end of next week, has also seen some success by being in places like and .

While donations are steady throughout the township, Parks and Recreation Director Greg Ley said the Shop-Rite drop-off has been huge.

“We’ve already been called out to empty it after it went overflowing,” he said.