MONTAGUE — Downtown Turners Falls was flush with community service and New England pride Tuesday morning as the Heartwing Center helped put food on the table this Thanksgiving for families in need through a turkey distribution with the help of New England Patriots Kicker Andy Borregales.
Just over 100 people gathered outside at the corner of Avenue A and Third Street, where a team of volunteers from the Heartwing Center and the Brick House Community Resource Center distributed Thanksgiving meal staples, including frozen turkeys for anyone in need and all free of charge.
People waited in line not only with reusable shopping bags for the free Thanksgiving meal fixings, but with Patriots ephemera of all kinds for the 23-year-old rookie kicker from the University of Miami to sign.
While Borregales provided the star power to draw in people, volunteers, organizers, attendees, he emphasized how valued community outreach is during a time of hardship.
“I try to give back as much as possible, get involved with the community, and at the end of the day, I’m a firm believer you’ve got to give back, no matter what,” Borregales said about coming out to help and represent the New England Patriots.
Heather Wood, executive director of the Heartwing Center, said that she’s seen the need increase as Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program funds fan out at the start of the month, and grocery prices increase.
“About two weeks ago, maybe three weeks ago, the fear just set in as we were faced with lack of SNAP funds, grocery prices going up,” Wood said, “So this is just such a gift, and so deeply appreciated by the community.”
As previously reported by the Greenfield Recorder, half of all households in Franklin and Hampshire counties and roughly two million adults across the state experienced food insecurity in 2024, according to a June statewide report published by The Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham.
The Greater Boston Food Bank explains that low food insecurity occurs when a person in a household has to reduce the quality or variety of their meals, while very low food insecurity occurs when a person is forced to skip meals or not eat for an entire day because they don’t have enough money for food.
Amid the cuts to SNAP, and the changes to eligibility for the program, the Montague Food Security and Sustainability Coalition, a 15-member group dedicated to taking on food security in the five villages, expanded its efforts to distribute produce from Red Fire Farm to coalition members for distribution. Thomas Taaffe, executive director of the Brick House, said that this event with the Heartwing Center (a coalition member) was an extension of the efforts to help feed those in need.
Last Thanksgiving, a similar turkey giveaway was offered between the Heartwing Center and the Brick House, and Taaffe said he expected to give out twice as many turkeys this year than last year, with more to come if the demand remains.
The turkeys were provided through a joint effort of the Heartwing Center and Fan Favorite Inc., known as I Love Boston Sports, Woods explained.
The collaboration between the two organizations stems from the friendship between Woods and Mahlon Williams, founder of I Love Boston Sports, who works with Patriots players for public and private events. They connected during their time at Northfield Mount Hermon, and this opportunity was able to mix the interests of both their organizations.
Williams said this type of service also impacts him personally, growing up with SNAP benefits at times, sharing he understands how tough it is to be without.
“Personally, it hits home when I hear stories about areas not too dissimilar from where I grew up,” Williams said, “and I was blessed to have had opportunities, and not everybody’s gonna get those opportunities, but I just wanted to make sure that I could be whatever this is something that I could do.”
As for having Borregales as part of this event, Williams explained this is not within his contract as a player, and community service is something Borregales is passionate about in his personal time. From his perspective, having the player for the event is meaningful, and even more so when the team is “red hot.”
For attendees Natachia Hernandez and her son, Adam, who has autism, she expressed her appreciation for the event hosted by the Heartwing Center, whose staff she says are like family to her and her son. When she heard about the event, she says she thought it was a chance to also have the Patriots players sign her songs jacket, which she purchased for him two months ago.
“It’s a great help,” Hernandez said about the giveaway, noting how money is tight for people to afford a Thanksgiving meal. “Even if they don’t have a house or whatever, they have something to cook and eat.”
Helping out those in need today were seniors on the Franklin County Technical School football team, who shared that this is a unique opportunity to blend their school and community pride with acts of service.
“I think it’s awesome, and the fact that Heather [Wood] from [the Heartwing Center] invited us, and Coach [Joe Gamache] got us out here during school, I think it was great to be a part of, and be able to show pride for the Patriots, for the community and for our team,” Maxon Brunette, a senior running back, shared.
“Love is built around the dining room table, sharing meals, sharing food,” Wood said, reflecting on the impact of this event on families in need. “I think there was a sigh of relief as people recognized that they might actually be able to produce a traditional Thanksgiving meal.”