Thanksgiving dinners cater to area's needy

Local facilities opened their doors to those who didn't have any place to spend the holiday.

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Every day Jamie Justiniano works diligently with markers and pens to create the colorful pictures that spring into his mind. He's homeless and jobless, but he is thankful for what he says is a God-given gift.  

"I'm a natural artist," he said today during a Thanksgiving dinner at a Bethlehem homeless facility. "Everything I see in my head, I do on paper."

Justiniano, 50, said he's hopeful that he'll be able to return to school to improve his reading and writing skills, so that he can more easily find a job. He used to keep his work private, but now he proudly unfolds sheets of paper featuring sports cars, country cottages and floral designs to anyone with an interest. New Bethany Ministries in Bethlehem, where he can be found most days, helped him feel comfortable sharing his art, he said.

"I feel more comfortable here, and I'm close to people," he said.

Justiniano was one of about 70 people who attended the organization's annual Thanksgiving dinner. The homeless facility has held the dinner since it opened 26 years ago, said Brandy Garofalo, director of the hospitality center. She said the organization gave out about 420 turkeys to local families, and that the dinner was held for the area's homeless.

"These are people who really really need to be here," she said.  

Dinners have a tradition of offering classic Thanksgiving fare and a sense of community for those without a place to go for the holiday. River of Life Presbyterian Church in Phillipsburg has held its dinner for the last 12 years and had about 125 signed up for this year's event.

"I think that especially because of the times, people need a place that they can go," said Jan Zukowski, of Blairstown, who has volunteered at the dinner for the last three years.

The dinner caters to those in town in need of a warm meal on Thanksgiving, said Jim Minorics, a church elder. The church receives so many donations that those who attend the dinner are often able to take a box of leftovers with them, he said. Lisa Brown, 41, of Phillipsburg, said the dinner provided a chance to be with her family.

"We came today to have our first Thanksgiving dinner as a family," she said, holding her nearly 3-month-old daughter, Natalia Dillard.  

Both dinners were run by seasoned and first time volunteers looking to spend the holiday by helping others. Annie Lacey, of Bethlehem, said she decided to volunteer at New Bethany for the first time this year due to her own experience.

She didn't want to elaborate on the circumstances, but she said she'd gone through a difficult time. She was overwhelmed by the willingness of others to help her during her time of need, and decided this year she would "pay it forward," she said.

"I'd never been in that position before," she said. "When there were people there who wanted to help without being judgmental or condescending, it really inspired me."