New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
‘Day of Joy’ sit-down meal returns for Thanksgiving
NEW HAVEN — The sit-down meal portion of the “Day of Joy” Thanksgiving event will return this year after last year’s remote grocery giveaway necessitated by the pandemic.
No one is happier than pastor Brenda Adkins and her husband, John Adkins, who organize the event through their church, His Divine Will fellowship.
The event grows every year and in 2019 the Adkinses and their volunteers fed 1,500 people a feast with all the trimmings and gave away thousands of pounds more of food, as well as toiletries. A youth winter coat giveaway by the Knights of Columbus will return this year with more coats than ever, as will a grocery giveaway.
Brenda Adkins said she can’t wait to sit and talk to the families as they eat. Last year they were only able to pass out groceries outdoors.
“We haven’t sat down and that really is the foundation of the Day of Joy,” she said. “I want to see how people are holding up.”
The Day of Joy this year — the 9th annual event — will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 20 at 560 Ella Grasso Blvd., a change from the former location. They will take applications for the event — it’s free, but tickets are needed — from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 20 at 330 Munson St.
Brenda Adkins said they also are in need of donations, as they haven’t been allowed to collect donations outside of Amity Stop & Shop this year because of
the pandemic.
She said people are suffering financially more than ever because of the pandemic, including from rising food prices.
Adkins said while some families have received extra SNAP benefits during the pandemic, many in need who attend the Day of Joy don’t receive any food stamps.
The event started out small in 2014, only serving about 300 families in the
New Haven Public Schools system, and continues to grow. At the 2016 event they served about 400 people, but in 2017 that had grown to 685 people from schools all over New Haven.
Anyone interested in donating or volunteering can call Adkins at 203-836-6832.