The Republican
Rachel’s Table of Western Massachusetts (RTWM) sponsored its Bruce and Day-die Hochberg Thanksgiving Project this fall, purchasing and then delivering 1,178 turkeys (including 50 kosher turkeys for kosher-observant families) to 30 partner agencies across Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The Hochberg Thanksgiving project has been helping Western Mass. families celebrate the holiday with turkey and fixings since 2007.
Key financial donors for this initiative are local individuals, families, and businesses who believe that everyone should enjoy the holiday season with dignity. Merrill Gagne of Gagne Wealth Management has donated all the turkeys for RTWM’s partner agencies in Hampshire and Franklin Counties for the past two years and supported this initiative again this year. In addition, the Hochberg family and friends of the late Daydie Hochberg help support the purchase of turkeys in Hampden County. The project originated with Daydie, who always thought that people should be able to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday without worrying about food!.
“Helping locally makes a difference,” Gagne, president of Gagne Wealth Management in Greenfeld, said. “My whole team is proud to be able to support all our communities, especially around the holidays. Food insecurity continues to be a real problem and it’s the least we can do to help provide for all the families in need.”
Recipients were thrilled. Veronica Garcia Padilla, operations and personnel director of the Franklin County Community Meals Program (FCCMP), stated, “This year, we partnered with Indivisible North Quabbin to create companion bags filled with sides and essentials for the turkeys. Thanks to the generosity [of Rachel’s Table and Gagne Wealth Management], we were able to provide more than 50 complete Thanksgiving meals to families in the Orange community.”
Hunger, however, is not just seasonal. With hunger affecting 50% of the households in Franklin and Hampshire Counties, and 54% of households in Hampden County (from the 2025
Greater Boston Food Bank report), Rachel’s Table’s four programs (rescue, purchase, glean and grow) deliver immediate relief and build long-term food security. Visit feedwma.org to find out how you can join us in making a difference year-round.
Rachel’s Table of Western Massachusetts (RTWM) is a grassroots, volunteer-driven hunger alleviation organization. RTWM was founded as the food rescue and recovery program of the Jewish Federation of Western Mass. in 1992 and became an independent nonprofit in July 2023. Through four programs (rescue, purchase, glean, and grow), it provides holistic solutions to 65+ partner agencies and networks across Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties. The programs provide food to people in need as well as directly support food insecure communities to plan, plant, and harvest their own food. Its operations are powered by 390 volunteers, including teen leaders who encourage their peers to educate themselves, serve others, and advocate for change. RTWM targets both immediate hunger crises and addresses longer term solutions, working to feed and nourish one delivery, one glean, one garden at a time.
For more information on how to volunteer or donate, visit www.feedwma.org