Nearly 100 meals being given to Bradford Commons and Kenduskeag Terrace residents
BANGOR — At Thanksgiving, most of us are thinking about eating large amounts of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. It’s a holiday where Americans celebrate the bounties of the season.
“It’s not a time of year when we usually think about what it means to be an elderly or disabled person, on a fixed income, who lives alone and struggles to pay the bills,” said Bob Sedgwick, the director of dining services at Husson University. “For many of these individuals, food insecurity is a daily challenge. Here at Husson, our campus culture emphasizes the importance of character and humility. So, when the opportunity presented itself to make Thanksgiving better for some struggling members of our community, we jumped at the chance to be involved.”
Starting at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, Husson’s Dining Services team will be preparing 96 free Thanksgiving meals at the University’s Dickerman Dining Center for elderly and disabled residents living at Bradford Commons and Kenduskeag Terrace in Bangor. Harbor Management manages both facilities.
The all-volunteer Dining Services team at the University helping to prepare these meals includes Husson University Chef Dave Schultz. Schultz is well known to area food aficionados as the co-winner of the “Professional Chef” and “People’s Choice” awards at Maine Lobsterpalooza’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese competition in 2017. Assisting the chef in the preparation of the Thanksgiving meal will be Sedgwick; Carole Bemis, an administrative assistant in Dining Services; and Julie Perkins, Dining Services’ purchasing and technology coordinator.
The 96 completed meals will be picked up by Laurie Holmes, the resident services coordinator for the Caleb Group and her husband at 11:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving. They will then immediately deliver the meals to elderly and disabled residents at Bradford Commons and Kenduskeag Terrace. Caleb Group Property Manager Kim Scheid and the rest of the organization’s office staff have volunteered to assist in the meal delivery process. Bradford Commons is located at 201 Husson Avenue and Kenduskeag Terrace is at 117 Court Street.
While serving residents is part of Holmes’ job, she finds an enormous amount of personal satisfaction in bringing smiles to residents’ faces when they receive a Thanksgiving meal. “There is something that makes Thanksgiving a special holiday. It’s a time when we remember to be grateful for what we have. Getting a hot Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings does more than satisfy someone’s hunger – it lifts their spirit, and that’s something we should all feel good about.”
Food insecurity in America continues to be a significant issue among the elderly and the disabled. According to 2020 edition of The State of Senior Hunger in America, an annual report produced by the Feeding America network, 5.3 million seniors, or 7.3 percent of the senior population, were food insecure in 2018. In 2013, nearly one in three (31.8 percent) food insecure households included a working age adult who had a disability.
“We need to work together if we are ever going to solve the food insecurity problem,” said Sedgwick. “Partnering with area organizations like The Caleb Group and Harbor Management is a step in the right direction. If all of us here in the Bangor area made it a point to donate food to others through our local food banks or the pantry at the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, we could make this season a little better for a lot of people. No one should have to go hungry — ever.”
The Caleb Group believes that dependable, affordable housing is an essential component of a stable life for individuals and families. But housing itself isn’t enough. Residents and their communities flourish when they are supported by the kinds of programs and resources that Caleb’s Service Coordinators and Community Opportunity Centers provide. Founded in 1992, the Caleb Group owns, manages and/or provides resident service coordination in 2,000 apartments or townhouses. The organization touches the lives of 4,480 residents in New England. For more information, visit https://thecalebgroup.org.
Harbor Management is a full-service property management company. With over 40 years of experience in property management. The organization provides high quality facilities-planning, building management, and resident services. The firm manages everything from maintenance and capital needs, to financial operations and budgeting, depending on the requirements of the association. Harbor manages 30 apartment-home communities and several commercial and retail office buildings in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Find your next home at https://harbormgmt.com/.
For more than 120 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent superior value in higher education. Our Bangor campus and off-campus satellite education center in Northern Maine both provide advanced knowledge in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. In addition, Husson University has a robust adult learning program. According to a recent analysis of tuition and fees by U.S. News & World Report, Husson University is one of the most affordable private colleges in New England. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu.