Bethel Charities Enter Overdrive as Thanksgiving Nears

BETHEL, CT — Thanksgiving is meant to be the day families gather to count their blessings and, as in the tale of the Pilgrims who invented the holiday, be grateful for getting past some tough times. But for those still going through their tough times, the day can leave them feeling more heartsick than Hallmark Channel.

Working to take the bitter out of the bittersweet for local families down on their luck are the town's Department of Social Services, and non-profit organizations Brotherhood in Action and the Bethel Community Food Pantry.

The pantry can be found in the rear of the Bethel United Methodist Church, located at 141 Greenwood Avenue. Each month, clients can choose their own non-perishable food, plus bread, fresh fruit and vegetables and, when available, meat and dairy products. The pantry also offers crucial items not covered by food stamps, such as toilet paper, shampoo, deodorant and laundry detergent.

The Community Pantry is open the first and third Tuesdays of every month, except for November and December when the group works closely with another Bethel non-profit organization, Brotherhood in Action. Those volunteers collect and distribute food to Bethel individuals and families in need at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and at the end of the school year. This Thanksgiving, BIA will be delivering to 141 households in Bethel.

Leo Gallagher is the president of BIA, and has been involved with the group since the late 90s. He is supported by a board of "16-17 guys, and a lot of volunteers who come when we need them," he told Patch.

BIA thrives on the donations of individual residents as well as a number of generous organizations. These include Caraluzzi's Market in Bethel, the Village Market in Wilton, and Blue Jay Orchards, who come through every Thanksgiving with donations of apples, cider and pies. This year, the Jewish Federation of Western Connecticut also gave BIA "a substantial grant," Gallagher said.

Who in the community gets served by BIA's efforts is determined by the town's director of social services, Megan Alworth-Khazadian, the third leg of the Thanksgiving charity stool. Alworth-Khazadian qualifies residents using financial eligibility requirements set by the State. She also keeps what she calls an "emergency food pantry" handy to help out households who may be in dire straits when the Community Pantry is closed.

When asked what BIA could use to make its job easier, Gallagher said, "Nothing. People are very generous. Bethel is a very good town that way." That said, the BCFP is in need of volunteers, and residents should contact Susan Pople at 203-947-1754 to offer their services. Anyone in Bethel who could benefit from the services of the Community Pantry or Brotherhood in Action is encouraged to contact Megan Alworth-Khazadian at 203-794-8537.