November 30, 2023
We Love Doing Good! Free Thanksgiving Dinners for Over 1,200 People
National Life Group and Sodexo continued the annual tradition of giving away free to-go Thanksgiving dinners last Tuesday.
In collaboration with nine area organizations and 70 generous volunteers, over 1,200 meals were prepared and delivered or picked up in one of 
two Montpelier locations.
Meals by the numbers:
- 350 pounds of potatoes
- 375 pounds of squash
- 30 gallons of gravy
- 350 pounds of turkey
- 275 pounds of stuffing
On Tuesday, NBC5 came by and did a story about it: ‘I love to help people’: 1,200 meals handed out in Montpelier to the community for Thanksgiving (mynbc5.com)
Both traditional turkey and vegetarian meals were offered. Meals are reserved in the weeks leading up to the distribution days. This year, 1,175 meals were reserved, and Sodexo prepared 1,237 meals. The leftover 60-plus meals were given to local law enforcement to hand out to unhoused folks in the Montpelier area. These meals help our neighbors for so many different reasons, including seniors who are unable to cook.
A couple of our wonderful volunteers delivered a meal to a woman in her 80’s who actually used to work at National Life! She wrote a very sweet thank you note, which said:
“My back does not let me stand and cook, so I am grateful for this dinner and the delivery!” she wrote.
This is the fourth year of offering this unique tradition, which began at the height of the pandemic in 2020 after the annual community meal hosted by Washington County Youth Service Bureau was cancelled. Last year, over 1,300 meals were given away.
“National Life’s values are to Do good, Be good and Make good, and this is just one way that we live our values,” meals organizer, Community Relations Specialist Jessica Russo said. “It’s a privilege to partner with Sodexo for the fourth year in a row to help our neighbors out during this time of giving and gratitude. I’m also grateful that National Life enables us to volunteer in our communities.”
Most of the volunteers were National Life associates taking advantage of their 40 hours of paid volunteer time.
Community partners include: Bethany Church, Burtt’s Apple Orchard, Cabot Creamery, Capstone Community Action, Central Vermont Medical Center, Chappelle’s Vermont Potatoes, La Brea Bakery, and Sysco Corporation.
