On Wednesday, November 22, the Student Ambassadors organization at MCC - Penn Valley held their second annual Thanksgiving dinner give-away to needy families for the holiday.

As we sat around our dinner tables on Thanksgiving Day in front of a brilliantly carved turkey with our loved ones, mounds of side dishes and beautifully sculpted desserts, many of us reflected on those things for which we are grateful.

However, tragedy strikes in all forms, and many families have suffered through natural disasters or even just the day-to-day struggles of financial distress, so this holiday seemed to be just another day to get through.

"My mother always cooks Thanksgiving dinner and I appreciate that. With this event, I was hoping that we could give that same feeling that I had when I was a kid to these families," said event coordinator Alyssia Aikens.

Under the direction of advisor Gwendolyn Pate and president Shauntay President, the organization first had a bake sale on the second level of the Campus Center as a means to raise funds to help with the purchase of the Thanksgiving dinners.

The advisor sent a mass email to everyone at MCC - Penn Valley, informing them of the bake sale and the importance of support through purchases and donations. The email also appealed to students and faculty to nominate particular families in need.

"Last year we were able to sponsor 49 families," said Pate. She included an attached copy of the application, which was also available at the information desk in the Campus Center.

Contributions raised for the event totaled $810.95, enough to feed 18 needy families. These donations went toward fully prepared meals, including beverages, and the remaining money was dispensed to the PVCC Student Emergency Fund.

"A big thank you to HyVee; they worked very fast and on short notice under a lot of pressure," said Aikens.

The members of the organization personally delivered the meals to those families that were nominated. "My mom, my sister and I delivered meals. Ms. Pate, the student ambassadors, the president – everyone got involved," said Aikens.

"Next year we’ll get the applications and the word out earlier, but I think overall it was a success," continued Aikens. "There were 18 families who otherwise would not have had Thanksgiving dinner, and they were very appreciative."

Copyright 2006 Metropolitan Community College