MCDI And Springfield College To Serve Free Community Thanksgiving Dinner
November 8, 2005SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Nov. 8, 2005 -- In the spirit of the first Thanksgiving, the Massachusetts Career Development Institute (MCDI) and Springfield College will serve holiday dinner free of charge on Weds., Nov. 16, 2005, from 6 to 8 p.m., in MCDI’s dining room, 140 Wilbraham Ave.
The community Thanksgiving dinner is open to all Springfield residents and parking is free. MCDI and the college anticipate that more than 700 members of the Upper Hill, Old Hill, Mason Square, and Springfield College communities will attend. The event, originated in 1997, has been an annual celebration since 1999.
Aramark, the college’s food service, and MCDI staff will prepare traditional roast turkey, seasonal vegetables and desserts. Working together, more than 100 volunteers from the college, MCDI and the community will decorate the dining room, welcome guests, serve dinner, and cleanup. Representatives of the college and MCDI will offer Thanksgiving greetings, area clergy members will give an opening prayer, and Springfield College Singers will perform throughout the evening.
The event will culminate weeks of collaboration among MCDI, neighborhood councils, and the college to involve community organizations and area residents. It extends a partnership between MCDI and the college, whose students serve as interns and perform services at MCDI throughout the year. Students’ service often is related to their studies in health sciences, social work, education, and other fields.
MCDI serves persons 18 to 60 years of age through an alternative high school, welfare-to-work programs, services for dislocated workers and more. Annually, it assists about 1000 persons to enter the work force, including many whom it placed in internships in area companies.
