110 Thanksgiving Baskets Provided to Tri-Town Clients

A local karate studio raised enough money through its ‘Basket Brigade’ fundraiser to provide 110 complete Thanksgiving meals for Tri-Town Community Action Agency clients in the area.

This year marks the eleventh year that American Martial Arts, at 3 Commerce St., Smithfield, has organized the drive for clients of the Johnston-based nonprofit, including delivery of the meals directly to their homes.

“We are extremely grateful to Kelly Demirgioglu and the families at American Martial Arts for their work in helping to provide Thanksgiving to our clients,” said Tri-Town CEO Joseph DeSantis. “Their generosity is a great example of how people in the community can step up and make a difference in the lives of local families.”

Demirgioglu explained that AMA started the annual effort in 2005, after trying to figure out how to identify families who needed the help at Thanksgiving.

“We didn’t know how to get the names at first,” Demirglioglu recalled, “and then we contacted [Special Projects Director] Dave Banno at Tri-Town and he said ‘Absolutely, we have the information you need.’”

Every year, she added, AMA raises money to provide at least 100 Thanksgiving meals, at a cost of $35 each. Brigido’s IGA in Pascoag provides the turkeys and roasting pans, plus stuffing, vegetables, cranberry, and other items for every family.

For the students and their families at AMA, Demirgioglu said there’s more than just the collection of money that’s involved with the Basket Brigade.

“Calling all the families and making sure they’ll be home is a big part of it,” she explained, adding that AMA volunteers try to avoid leaving the meals unattended at clients’ homes. “It’s a good lesson for our kids to see the people who get the baskets – it’s a very rewarding day for the students.”

Photos:

1: Basket Brigade: Emma Bellucci, left, and Nathan Bellucci pack a basket for the American Martial Arts fundraiser under the supervision of Instructor Issa Demirglioglu. AMA families provided enough money for 110 Thanksgiving baskets that were delivered to clients of Tri-Town Community Action Agency.

2: A Team Effort: The families and students at American Martial Arts in Smithfield show the results of their ‘Basket Brigade’ fundraising effort, which provided Thanksgiving meals to 110 families who are clients of Tri-Town Community Action Agency.

Credit: American Martial Arts