Community Helps BC3 Create, Distribute 45 Meals for Thanksgiving

(Butler, PA) “We were helping out a young person last week,” Jennifer Taylor begins, “and she didn’t know anything about the turkey dinners.”

The student at Butler County Community College, a 22-year-old separated mother of boys ages 3 and 1, was gathering cereal, apple juice, and canned vegetables and beans from BC3’s Pioneer Pantry.

“I told her, ‘I am going to send you an email,’” Taylor said. ‘“I want you to sign up to get a free turkey dinner.’

“And it was like we had given her gold.”

This November is the third in which BC3’s Pioneer Pantry has distributed food for a Thanksgiving meal to BC3 community members.

Taylor is a BC3 business instructor and coordinator of the college’s hospitality management program. She and other members of BC3’s food security team are distributing 45 turkeys and other food for a Thanksgiving meal to those who registered to receive the holiday fare.

$2K raised to help others

“We’re giving them something that they may not otherwise have that day, that they can’t afford to have,” Taylor said.

The BC3 Pioneer Pantry and the BC3 Education Foundation in late summer raised $2,147 during a week of charitable giving to benefit holiday food distributions in November and December.

“The week of charitable giving can really show how our community, not just the BC3 campus community, but the Butler County community as a whole, has supported the pantry with monetary donations and with food donations,” said Mikayla Moretti, the college’s director of special events and grants and a member of BC3’s food security team.

The Butler AM Rotary Club contributed $300 during the week of charitable giving, Moretti said. Thoma Meat Market, Saxonburg, later gifted 21 turkeys. And NexTier Bank, 100 distribution bags.

“What our community is doing to help others is huge,” Taylor said. “For me, it’s just a moment of thanks, with not enough words to describe the gratitude.”

“Be a blessing”

BC3’s Pioneer Pantry was created in 2019 to assist students and others, and followed a 2018 Wisconsin HOPE Lab survey in which 38 percent of the 304 BC3 students who responded to the survey indicated having low or very low food security.

“I think it was surprising to some of our members, myself included, that there were some of those issues,” said Audrianna Bly, president of the Butler AM Rotary Club. “So we definitely thought it was important to contribute to that. I know quite a few BC3 employees who are involved in different community aspects. I know they want to give back as much as they can as well.”

Thoma Meat Market’s gift of 10- to 12-pound, and 14- to 16-pound free-range turkeys is for “a very worthy cause,” co-owner Tim Thoma said. “I said, ‘Hey, I’d like to be a part of that.’ And so that’s what we’re doing. If God has been good to you, you should help people in the community. And there’s no better way to receive a blessing than to be a blessing. And to give.”

The 22-year-old student at BC3 signed up to receive BC3’s food for a Thanksgiving meal.

“I haven’t even been able to think about the holiday,” she said, “because I have been pretty busy parenting.”

Holidays can be difficult for many, especially following the pandemic, said Maria Amoruso, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for NexTier Bank.

“As a community bank, NexTier believes we have a commitment to help build up our friends and neighbors who might be struggling,” Amoruso said. “Partnering with BC3 by providing some of the resources needed to distribute Thanksgiving meals is one way we can continue to make a difference. We were thrilled to hear about BC3’s Pioneer Pantry, which makes such a significant difference for so many and proud to play a small part in its success.”

BC3“So much food donated”

BC3’s food for a Thanksgiving meal includes instant mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, canned corn, canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, gravy mix, pie filling, pie crust, cranberry sauce, crescent rolls, a $10 gift card to a national store for the purchase of perishable items, and a turkey.

“It will probably be just my two boys and me,” the mother said. “I think it’s great that they have so much food donated for the students.”

Mainstreet Bake Shop, with two locations in Saxonburg, on Tuesday added 45 slices of chocolate, vanilla, half-and-half and red velvet cake, and 45 loaves of Italian bread to BC3’s distribution.

“It’s contributing to all the families who can’t necessarily bring everything to the table that their families deserve, and that they want to give to their families, for Thanksgiving,” said Megan Roth, owner of the bakeries. “It’s helping those who can’t do that much for their families or as much as they would want to.”

BC3’s Pioneer Pantry assisted 19 families in October.

“We are just so excited to be able to support students in this way,” Moretti said. “You don’t even realize that students are this much in need. And to be able to fill that need in that we are doing this as a campus community is really special.”