The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
‘Everybody deserves a chance’
Volunteers prep Thanksgiving baskets for needy
TORRINGTON — The spirit of Thanksgiving was on hand Tuesday at the Salvation Army church on Oak Avenue as volunteers handed out boxes of food for the holiday.
Major Tina Streck said approximately 150 boxes, created through donations from the Connecticut Food Bank and the community, were to be distributed. People were greeted as they came down into the lower-level of the building and offered fruit, vegetables, a turkey, pumpkin pie and other holiday fare.
Several of the volunteers said they were happy to give back with their time.
“It’s a good time to help out, especially with the holidays,” said Evelyn Luciano, who has been attending the church for approximately four years.
Her daughter, in particular, had become interested in the place and wants to become a pastor.
“I love it . ... I see a lot of things happen and it touches my heart,” Luciano said.
Frank Morrell said he is a counselor at Prime Time House, and, after an internship at the Salvation Army, wanted to continue to volunteer his time there.
“I sleep better at night,” Morrell said.
Rena Fitzgerald quoted scripture when asked why she was there: “Do unto others as you’ve have done unto you.”
McKenzie Robbs, a Torrington High School student, said he was required to complete 10 hours of community service, among other mandates, after he was suspended for getting in trouble at school.
He completed that in the last few weeks working at Friends in Service to Humanity, he said, but when the Salvation Army called asking for volunteers, he decided to help out.
“It made me feel like I made a difference in everybody’s life,” Robbs said. “That 10 hours was just too low, and I could do more.”
Robbs said those he admired volunteered and demonstrated positivity in their life. He said he learned about people with the time spent volunteering.
“There’s so many people here that actually care about each other — more than I thought there was,” Robbs said. “Everybody deserves a chance to prove themselves worthy of friendship.”
Leira Amador, the kettle coordinator, was greeting people as they came in the door upstairs. She said she had been a member of the congregation for about four years, and, after previously working as a volunteer, had just gotten the job in the last week.
“They’ve always been here for me,” Amador said of the Salvation Army. “(It’s provided) a safe haven, a place to come and talk, service on Sunday.”
Thomas McCracken said the Salvation Army provided a lifeline for him — a place to get sustenance when food stamps run out. He said the box he received Tuesday would provide Thanksgiving dinner for him, his girlfriend and his 14-year-old stepson.
“It definitely helps me out when I’m in need,” McCracken said. “It gets me through the rest of the month. When I’m hurting, this is the only place I can go to.”
The Salvation Army will shift to working for the next holiday after Thanksgiving, Streck said. It’s seeking volunteers to ring bells outside Walmart as it begins to raise funds during the Christmas season.
This year, the church will be offering food for the holidays in addition to the toys it typically provides, she said.
Streck has been the pastor and leader of the Salvation Army church since July, she said. She became involved with the group as a teenager. Streck, the child of an alcoholic parent, was taken under the wing of Salvation Army officials in her native Pennsylvania.
From there, she went to school and the seminary through the Salvation Army, and has now worked for the group for 25 years, going from Vermont to Ohio to Rhode Island to Kentucky, among other places, and now to Torrington.
“This is my service to God. It has to be more than a job in the Salvation Army — it has to be a calling,” said Streck, who said she had enjoyed being a part of the city community so far. “God gives us back ... threefold what we give of ourselves.”