Many reasons to be thankful
Gary Painter, dressed as Santa Claus, serves collard greens, a Southern-style vegetable, at Monessen Civic Center Thursday.
Salvation Army Captain Sue Thwaite shows the placemats and decorations elementary students made for the organization’s second Thanksgiving dinner in Monessen.
From left, Matthew Odoski, 6, Brody Skibo, 6, and Braedin Lunger, 7, each saw Santa serving collard greens and obliged his request to try them.
Marcus Weaver, 23, and his mother, Kelly Weaver, serve desserts.
Monessen Mayor Lou Mavrakis and his grandson Jared Karbowsky, 21, each served turkey at the front of the service line.
MONESSEN – Santa Claus usually sticks to celebrating Christmas, and even then, he typically gives candy canes or coal – not collard greens. But there he was at Monessen Civic Center Thursday along with more than 30 Salvation Army volunteers, dishing a traditional Thanksgiving feast for those in need.
That need could have been for food or company, according to Salvation Army Captain Sue Thwaite.
“This is about community; not only for people who may need a meal, but those who need some socialization with others,” she said at the second annual celebration the charity organization has hosted at the site. “So our volunteers have been instructed to go around and chat with those who are seen sitting alone. And we’re out delivering between 40 to 60 meals to those who are shut-ins, or are working around Monessen on Thanksgiving.”
“Santa” was Gary Painter, a longtime volunteer with the Salvation Army. He said it’s his obligation to help, even if it’s goading kids into trying Southern-style vegetables. Three youngsters tried the rich, salty greens to mixed reviews. Matthew Odoski and Brody Skibo, both 6, tried them, as did Braedin Lunger, 7, who were each there with their volunteering parents. Kelly Weaver, of Charleroi, is Lunger’s adoptive grandmother, but considers him a son, just like her son Marcus Weaver, 23, who has Down syndrome and was helping serve cookies, cakes and pies.
“I’m thankful for my brother and my mother,” Marcus said, smiling as he offered chocolate cookies.
“He always wanted to be a dad,” Kelly said, “but him taking care of his brother is the next best thing. As for Braedin, we asked him if he wanted to stay home or come here and help. He wanted to help.”
As for Braedin’s review of the collard greens, “A little bit good, not too good,” he said.
Children ran and played inside the gymnasium of the Civic Center, which reopened last year. The center closed in 2007, according to Geno Sedlak, Monessen Civic Recreational Authority president.
“We need volunteers to be able to do things like this year-round. We have a feeding program in the summer where we feed almost 30 kids breakfast and lunch every day for 10 weeks,” Sedlak said.
”We have the mayor donating $3,000 of his salary, the police and Crystal Line Tech donating monitoring cameras – we just need to keep this flow going. I want this place to stay open and be a place for recreation and education,” he said.
Mayor Lou Mavrakis was at the front of the service line serving turkey with his grandsons, who were visiting from Maryland.
“Everyone should give time to others who aren’t as fortunate. If you don’t have compassion for others and do something, you might as well lay down and die. You need to pass your fortune forward, and we’ve been so fortunate,” Mavrakis said.
In all, 200 pounds of turkey and dozens of side dishes were donated from area restaurants, Thwaite said, including items from Gyros By George, Denny’s, Hoss’s and Felicia’s. Christen Lakin baked more than 30 pies. And an anonymous Salvation Army volunteer spent 8 hours peeling 50 pounds of potatoes. The selfless work culminated in a culinary celebration fit for royalty.
“We want this day, this place to feel like home. And I think we did it,” Thwaite said.