By Jeannie Murrer

Dec. 2, 2015:  The Senior Citizens Council (SCC), which overseas operations and activities in the senior centers of Bronxville and Tuckahoe, has been preparing Thanksgiving baskets for families in need in the Tuckahoe area for the past 13 years. This year was no different, and the council was able to prepare 20 baskets, which were delivered before the Thanksgiving holiday.

This wonderful tradition started when Audrey Sullivan, the SCC chairman at the time, suggested that the council give turkeys to the Tuckahoe CAP (Community Action Program) to distribute to families on Thanksgiving. At that time, the council was using a meeting room at the Tuckahoe location and thought it would be a nice gesture to help CAP's food distribution for low-income families.

After several years of donating turkeys, the council decided to add the rest of the Thanksgiving feast and started making up baskets with everything a family would need for the holiday meal. 

Each council member donates to the project, along with others who have heard about the project over the years. A group of about six council members meets at Costco on the Thursday before Thanksgiving, and within an hour they gather all the food and load it up to take to the CAP center.

An assembly line is started upstairs at the CAP center, and the baskets are finished and ready by noon. Every family gets a turkey, vegetables, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls, pie, and whipped cream, and the baskets are all packed with love.

Council member Veronica Darcy said, "It's one of our traditions on the council. There is a group of us that has been doing this for years, and we always look forward to the shopping and assembling the baskets."

Pictured here:  Members of the Senior Citizens Council shopping at Costco (top) and members with the head of CAP at the Tuckahoe center.

Photos by Kathleen Winters