Stepping up, Showing up – Daydie and Bruce Hochberg Thanksgiving Project
Thanksgiving Project
By Jodi Falk, Executive Director
Rachel’s Table runs four main programs – rescue, purchase, glean and grow – all powered by amazing volunteers. The four programs range from serving the immediate need to supporting longer-term solutions for a food secure future. One of the programs, Purchase, was created by key donors who wanted to fill a gap and focus their giving on specific times of the year, key food types for recipients, or cultural needs and desires. Other purchases come from listening to agency requests and responding.
One of the major purchase projects this time of year is the Daydie and Bruce Hochberg Thanksgiving Project. Created in 2007 when Daydie Hochberg, of blessed memory, one of the founders of Rachel’s Table, turned 70, the project supports families who wish to celebrate the holiday with a traditional Thanksgiving meal. This has become more important now that the Food Bank of Western MA no longer provides turkeys for this holiday, focusing their important work elsewhere. Rachel’s Table has stepped up to fill the gap by purchasing up to 1300 turkeys for Western MA families and adding up to 50 kosher turkeys for local kosher-observant families who are food insecure.
Stepping up is what we do – but it is also what key donors have done and continue to do. The Hochberg family has continued to generously support this program through a 10-year commitment of $15,000 a year – $10,000 for direct purchase of turkeys, and $5,000 towards the operations of Rachel’s Table overall. This pledge gives us confidence that we can keep this program going and Daydie, as well as her more recently deceased husband Bruce, will live on in the celebrations local families will have each year. Friends of Daydie’s, led by Betsy Gaberman, also continue to fundraise and provide sides for turkeys for The Gray House in Springfield, one of Daydie’s favorite partner agencies.
In the past three years, as Rachel’s Table’s programs have grown geographically, a new donor has shown up that helps us serve those in Hampshire and Franklin Counties. Merrill Gagne of Gagne Wealth Management in Greenfield supports all the turkeys in Franklin and Hampshire Counties for this growing program. Merrill and his team, who are thoughtful partners in supporting the lives of those in Franklin County and beyond, heard about the expansion of this program and felt like it was a great match. Merrill has always been interested in food security, and here was a way to make a very timely and meaningful difference. We all want to gather during the holidays, and this support made a difference this year for over 300 families. “Helping locally makes a difference,” Gagne says, “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.”
Rachel’s Table of Western MA is grateful to people who partner with us to help make our neighbor’s lives more nourished. Stepping up is inspirational, and contagious, and many more people have begun to get involved in donating time, talent and treasure. It is a great reminder of Margaret Mead’s famous quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.”