Thanksgiving begins with clothing drive

Couple aim to feed, clothe 1,000

NEW HAVEN — The Rev. Brenda Adkins, her husband, John, and their army of volunteers expect to serve dinner for 1,000 this Thanksgiving — and have every family leave with a bag of groceries and toiletries — so plans already are in high gear for their Herculean effort.

The Adkinses’ church, His Divine Will Fellowship Inc., which each year prepares a “Day of Joy” feast and giveaway just before Thanksgiving, is collecting monetary donations as well as sweaters, sweatshirts and toiletries, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday outside Amity Stop & Shop, in hopes the public will open their hearts as another holiday season approaches.

The couple chooses a clothing type item to collect for the event each year.

This year they are collecting gently used and new sweaters and sweatshirts for men, women and children, Brenda Adkins said, because so many people said they were cold last year. As always, they are in need of toiletries, too.

Monetary donations will be put toward food and other costs associated with the Day of Joy 2018, to be held Nov. 17 at Wexler-Grant School. Tickets are needed to get in and the majority of tickets are given through the city’s school system.

Brenda Adkins said they also need volunteers for the event.

Adkins said hunger is on the rise in the city as food prices go up — she hears it all the time — and the Day of Joy event takes the burden off families for a day, sends them home with a bag of groceries and toiletries and, most importantly, families eat together and socialize with others from the community.

“It’s a day they don’t have to worry about, ‘What am I going to eat today?’” Adkins said. “But it’s more than food — it’s fellowship.”

Last November the Adkins and their volunteers — among them a huge number from Knights of Columbus — served some 830 people. They were only expecting about 650, so they fell short of food, leading John Adkins to run out and purchase trays of prepared food because they didn’t want to turn away anyone .

Since the need is so great, they decided to shoot for providing 1,000 meals this year and to do that must greatly increase the number of trays of chicken, salads, collard greens, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, rolls, green beans and other dishes to be served.

“I know already there’s going to be more people,” Brenda Adkins said. “People are hungrier than they were last year.”

Brenda Adkins, whose church organization recently held a before-school backpack giveaway, said many who showed up expressed that they also hoped there would be food given away because they were short.

Adkins said she and her husband ran into a boy, 13, at a gas station last week who was asking people whether they needed any odd jobs to be done, as he had siblings at home who were hungry.

“It’s just so sad,” she said. “You’re 13 years old and you had to make a sacrifice like that when you’re going hungry.”

Those who would like to donate, but can’t make the storefront drive, can mail them in care of Brenda Adkins, or Divine Will Fellowship Inc., to 330 Munson St., New Haven 06511. Anyone with questions can call Adkins at 203802-0747.