GILL — Inmates at the Franklin County Jail and House of Correction, members of the Thomas Memorial Golf & Country Club and representatives of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office TRIAD Program packed 160 boxes of Thanksgiving staples on Monday morning for locals in need, a new record for the annual effort.
“It just keeps going up,” said Chet Czernich, who started the program with his wife Charlene six years ago.
According to Czernich, in its first year, volunteers filled 48 boxes. Six years and 932 boxes later, he expects the effort will feed more than 1,000 people this year.
Volunteers came together at the Schuetzen Verein on Monday, where they stuffed rows of cardboard boxes with potatoes, corn, green beans, butternut squash, onions, stuffing, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, gravy and 8-inch pies. Czernich organized the Feed the Families golf tournament at the Thomas Memorial Golf & Country Club in Turners Falls to raise money for the ingredients, which cost about $19.36 per box, with donations from area farmers and other businesses easing the load. Table Talk Pies in Worcester donated all 160 pies so local families can close out their Thanksgiving meals with the signature dessert.
“It’s just to help people,” Czernich said. “It’s time-consuming, but well worth it in the end.”
Once packing was complete, the boxes went to local senior centers, the First Congregational Church in Montague Center, The Salvation Army in Greenfield and families that TRIAD volunteers know could use some food ahead of the holidays.
“There’s a lot of need,” TRIAD supervisor Ray Zukowski said. “It’s Thanksgiving, so you give where you can.”