close
close

Mondor Festival

News with a Local Lens

    • Helping Hands Fund feeds the hungry in honor of late daughter
    minsta

    Helping Hands Fund feeds the hungry in honor of late daughter

    Pabio Posted on

    play

    Teresa Williams hosts 1,000 people for a Thanksgiving meal.

    Williams, volunteer manager of the Candice Williams Helping Hands Fund, organizes, shops and cooks for the foundation’s 20th free Thanksgiving dinner, 1 to 4 p.m., Nov. 28 at Friendly House, 380 N. Mulberry St.

    She and her husband, Ben, are looking for volunteers for the Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. They hope to feed up to 1,200 people. Healing Hearts Counseling will sponsor the meal this year, which Teresa said is much appreciated.

    The Williamses are coordinating the dinner in memory of their daughter, Candice, who was killed in a car accident in 2003 while driving to Polaris for a dentist appointment. Candice was 19 years old and preparing for college, planning to become a pilot.

    Family and friends have created a foundation in his memory. The teenager was known for his volunteer work.

    “She always said, ‘Mom, can I bring people a plate?’ when we had leftovers We once took in an elderly woman because she physically needed help. She lived with us for three years,” Theresa said. “She actually helped me grieve Candice.”

    Teresa Williams, who retired from the U.S. Postal Service, said her foundation helps people in many areas of their lives.

    Last year, the organization helped seniors in the community maintain their homes and distributed groceries. In the past, the couple adopted 26 families for Christmas and cleaned the homes and washed the windows of elderly people.

    “We also helped families by feeding them after funerals. We gave three families used minivans and helped single mothers repair their cars,” Teresa Williams said. “We helped a single mother whose home was damaged by a devastating fire. Most recently, we installed six new windows that were blown out due to a storm.”

    “It makes you feel good,” she said of helping others. “We’re retired now and this is what we do.”

    Theresa Williams will cook 24 turkeys and 18 hams in roasting pans and spread throughout the Friendly House on Thanksgiving morning. Williams also doesn’t mind peeling three cases of yams and lots of regular potatoes. This year, she will also serve 10 smoked turkeys thanks to a donation.

    “Last year we fed 500 guests as well as over 200 takeaways,” she said. “This is a dinner to feed anyone who needs a hot meal or doesn’t have family. This year we’re looking to feed more.”

    Williams said that Thanksgiving meal will offer traditional dishes – mashed potatoes, homemade dressing, greens, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, gravy, five different salads, fried chicken, mac and cheese, roast beef, corn, apple and sweet potato pies , banana and chocolate puddings and a variety of biscuits and cakes.

    She masters her preparation system perfectly.

    She said she does most of the shopping for the event and then brings everything directly to Friendly House. On Wednesdays, she shops, washes and prepares turkeys. Everything is prepared fresh on Thanksgiving morning.

    Many of its family volunteers come to Friendly House just to help clean up, which is greatly appreciated.

    “We would like the volunteers to know that we could not make this happen without them and without the help of the entire community,” Williams said.

    The event features entertainment and giveaways.

    She said Renee Williams, who was by her side, helping prepare the meal and receiving prizes from area restaurants, would not be attending the event this year due to health concerns.

    “We ask the community to pray for his speedy recovery,” she said.

    Williams said homebound people ages 62 and older who want home delivery should call him at 419-961-8334.

    Other Free Thanksgiving Meals Offered

    Dan Lew Exchange, 28 N Main St. Mansfield; service from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Eric Stigall for information: [email protected] or 419-544-1790

    Mansfield Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1040 Cook Road, Mansfield; service from noon to 2 p.m. To enjoy on site or to take away.

    The People Helping People Ministry will also offer its meal at 11 a.m. at the corner of Bowman and West Fourth streets at the picnic pavilion.

    [email protected]

    419-521-7223

    X: @LWhitmir

    Pabio
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like