March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

School donates holiday turkeys> Students learn the art of giving

Students at Bangor’s St. Mary’s Parish School Thursday practiced the “love-thy-neighbor” philosophy they have heard so often in religion classes by donating 25 turkeys to Manna Ministries soup kitchen.

The donation placed Manna closer to its goal of giving out 500 boxed dinners featuring turkey and all the fixings for Thanksgiving, according to executive director Bill Rae.

The turkey donations were complemented by items that ranged from cranberry sauce to packages of bread and vegetables that were brought in by the students.

On a crisp, sunny morning, eight youngsters hoisted turkeys weighing 14 to 16 pounds into a van that hauled the fare to soup kitchen headquarters on Center Street.

Caitlin Hickey, 11, of Bangor said it felt “good” to donate the turkeys.

“We’re doing this because we want to,” said Catherine Chasse, 13, an eighth-grade pupil at St. Mary’s.

Rae thanked the group for their kindness and assured them that several hungry families in the Bangor area would benefit from their actions.

The donation brought Manna’s turkey supply to 319. They are seeking 181 more turkeys for boxed dinners that will be passed out starting Monday, Nov. 20, Rae said.

Sister Peggy Walsh, principal of the school, said the donation fits in with the school’s policy of teaching acts of kindness and mercy as a part of life.

“We all pray for people in need but we also wanted to do something more,” to show concern and compassion, said Walsh, who is a member of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas congregation.


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