Loaves & Fishes Provides Thanksgiving Meals

By Jennifer L. Warren

NEWBURGH – What started in a church kitchen with a small group of volunteers packing up bags to be delivered to people in cars in 1998 has evolved into an extensive, carefully coordinated and executed community-wide undertaking with a faith-based focus in an impressive-sized space, which provided over 1,000 families with all the trimmings to make a complete Thanksgiving meal Saturday.

Those originators of the over quarter of a century cornerstone holiday event in the Enlarged City of Newburgh School District region, were inspired to create the “Fishes & Loaves” namesake by a Bible story involving Jesus selflessly feeding 5,000 people in need.

Donning orange tee-shirts inscribed with the biblical allusion, with the phrase, “Help us Feed Those in Need,” volunteers at this year’s 26th Anniversary event, could be spotted throughout its fifth year locale, the Deacon Jack Seymour Food Pantry, located in the gym area of the City of Newburgh’s Sacred Heart School, energetically and lovingly continuing the tradition.

“We offered this space because we used to give out turkeys on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving; however, during Covid in 2000, we decided to come here so we could do it on the Saturday before Thanksgiving,” explained Deacon Irma Bahr-Madrid, a 10 year Loaves & Fishes volunteer. “There is lots of room here, people know what to do, there are no fees involved, a lot of volunteers, and an overall great atmosphere.” Bahr-Madrid added,

“There is so much need, and it’s a coordinated effort with so many different food agencies and the community, a total, community effort.”

That diligent work and harmonious gelling of an array of agencies could immediately be detected upon arrival where hundreds of guests were patiently lining the street, leading to the parking lot where volunteers were distributing green bags filled with either turkeys or chickens to grateful recipients. Nearby, a few other volunteers could be spied, offering fresh produce, including baby carrots and an assortment of lettuces. Healthfirst was also on hand, providing hot drinks, health information and plenty of smiles and joy. Right nearby, was Pastor Frank Rich, interacting with each guest while handing out large turkey, swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato sandwiches.

Inside, guests were met with multiple tables stacked with an ensemble of all-donated from a wide array of philanthropic sources- Thanksgiving goodies: Large bags of instant potatoes, canned sweet potatoes and yams, one and two pound bags of rice, dry black or red beans, canned and dry packed gravy, canned vegetables, turkey stuffing mix, canned fruit, cranberry sauce, and a variety of breads and dessert items. Thanksgiving recipes with detailed instructions, specially written in both English and Spanish by a dedicated volunteer, were also provided and could be seen taken with genuine appreciation and joy by several people. Guests were allowed to “go shopping,” selecting their personal preferences to experiment with those recipes. The impact of the food pantries, soup kitchens, churches, other agencies and individual volunteers coming together to serve food insecurity was evident on the smiling faces of each recipient.

“I have been coming here for years and enjoy everything here-the food, the friendship and the community, and I’m excited about everything I got today,” said City of Newburgh resident, Ethel Johnson. “I’m cooking dinner for myself, and if anyone comes by to visit, they are more than welcome to join me.”

Another City of Newburgh resident, Josh Brown, was hard at work determining what kind of canned vegetables he wanted to select. Another returnee to the event, Brown could not wait to share the food wealth with his family who resides nearby.

“I love being able to go back and see my family and the looks on their faces when I bring this food to them,” said Brown. “I like the fruit and the corn the best, and I really like seeing so many people here; it makes me really look forward to Thanksgiving.”

The gratitude the event envelops is shared by all those involved.

“We are really, really fortunate to have so many donations and good people involved in this event,” said Linda Zalanowski, who with her husband, Paul, are the Directors of the Deacon Jack Seymour Food Pantry. “It goes from the hard work the kids put into setting up the day before to the adults as well as more kids today who hand out the food items.”

Each year, Fishes & Loaves just all seems to perfectly fall into place, forming something beautiful, priceless to so many, and only getting better with time.

“The way the whole event comes together is amazing- a real blessing,” said one of the event’s originators, involved since 1998, Linda Jansen. “There are just so many different organizations and people coming together for the good of the community, and it really shows what can happen as a result; we will already be getting ready for next years in March; it’s a lot of planning and work, but so incredibly worth it.”