Westchester’s Largest Thanksgiving Dinner Celebrates 24 Years
As Thanksgiving Day approaches the call has gone out from SHARE the Project Inc. for turkey carvers to volunteer at the organization’s 24th annual dinner, Tuesday, Nov. 26 at Hastings High School.
Jeanne Newman, founder of SHARE the Project, took some time out of her busy schedule to chat with The White Plains Examiner last week.
As Newman looks forward to feeding 650 men and women at a Thanksgiving feast this year, she remembers the beginning of the project when she was a new mother and high school teacher working in Dobbs Ferry.
“I was grateful for what I had at the time,” she said, “and I wanted to do something about it.”
Starting small, with the help of her students and support of the school’s administration, Newman began collecting clothing for the homeless. “It was in the 1980’s,” Newman remembered. “The homeless issue was big then. We looked into where we could donate and eventually hooked up with the Midnight Run, an organization that Newman later joined as a Board member and then Board chair. We would gather the clothing, soup and sandwiches and go into New York City.”
Newman remembers setting up a location on the first trip. “One person came by and just looked at everything and walked on. Then suddenly there was a whole gathering of people.”
The group from Dobbs Ferry soon became ensconced in the community and began making monthly trips. The students became involved and formed relationships with the people.
“We wanted to do more and that’s when we came up with the idea for a Thanksgiving dinner to be held the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to allow everyone time to be with their families and not to interfere with school. We pitched it to the Superintendent of Schools and got the go ahead,” Newman explained.
That was the first dinner in November 1989. The Hastings Schools bussed up 125 men from New York City at no cost and the dinner was set up in the high school cafeteria.
In 2007 the organization had grown to cover many projects and Newman decided to incorporate as a 501k3 not for profit. In 2010 that goal was accomplished and SHARE the Project, Inc. was officially established.
Everyone who works for the organization is a volunteer. There are no paid positions, Newman explained.
The work includes hooking up high school girls with dresses for prom night and even trips to Breezy Point after Hurricane Sandy, among many other activities.
The annual Thanksgiving dinner has been hosted at a number of locations around Westchester (including the Good Counsel Academy gym Congregation Kol Ami, and Memorial United Methodist Church, all in White Plains) over the past 24 years.
This year the dinner is back at Hastings High School. “They wanted us back,” Newman said.
The dinner guests will be bussed in from the New York City boroughs and from Westchester. Thirty turkeys are donated and cooked in commercial kitchens by professional chefs. Volunteers serve the food. Any food that is not used is given to local food pantries.
Newman says the guests come from the street and from family shelters. She expects 648 people this year including 250 children.
“It is a memory maker for everyone, both the volunteers and the guests,” Newman explained. “Many people come back.”
To make a much-needed donation, Project SHARE can be found on Facebook with a donations link at http://www.gofundme.com/4ds3uo.
