Great Barrington — The spirit of Thanksgiving and community was felt by all who attended the 17th annual Berkshire South Regional Community Center’s Free Community Thanks Supper, held on Tuesday, November 26.
The community center is a nonprofit organization located at 15 Crissey Road and regularly hosts free community meals throughout the year.
The dinner was prepared by chefs from The Taste of Haiti, Berkshire South’s in-house culinary team of Haitian refugee women. The meal was also prepared by chefs from Barrington Brewery, The Egremont Barn, and The Prairie Whale. Creature Bread donated the bread for the meal. Market 32, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, Berkshire Food Co-op, and Big Y World Class Market all sponsored the event.
“I’m really grateful to all the local businesses and chefs at restaurants who were all generous with their time to help bring this all together,” Emily Paskus, Berkshire South’s coordinator for community meals, told The Berkshire Edge. “I joined Berkshire South in this position a few months ago, and I’ve been a personal chef and nutritionist for over a decade. I am very committed to regional food security, and that’s the reason I took this position because it’s my number one priority. It’s great that we are feeding all of these people in the community tonight.”
The meal consisted of traditional Thanksgiving fare, including turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and a selection of pumpkin and apple pies. “This is not just about feeding the community, but it is also about building community and serving a common purpose,” said Berkshire South Executive Director Jenise Lucey. “A community meal like this is about feeding people and being with neighbors, while at the same time providing food security. We appreciate that people can be with us tonight.”
Paskus said that cooking started on the morning of Monday, November 25, two days before the meal was served. “Then this morning we had an amazing group of volunteers come in to help organize the meal,” Paskus said. “Even when we have our regular community meals, we have so many people come out like clockwork to help us.”
“There is a lot of power in breaking bread together, being connected with others, and knowing that you are filling a space for those who are isolated and don’t get to connect with others every day,” Lucey said. “It’s a real gift that Berkshire South is able to do this with a team of volunteers and supporters who all help to make it possible.”
For more information about Berkshire South Regional Community Center, visit its website.
