“Chrissy” is all ready for Thanksgiving Day. Besides looking forward to spending the day with her beloved family, she’s also grateful for an agency like Mount Carmel Guild which is making it possible for her to host and prepare the meal.

 “I appreciate this,” Chrissy said, as she held onto the bags of groceries she received during the inner-city Trenton diocesan agency’s annual Thanksgiving food drive Nov. 19. “This is a blessing that I can do this for my family.”

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Among the many who came out in support of the Thanksgiving food drive, which is regarded as being one of the guild’s busiest times of year, was Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., who made his first official visit to the agency and even helped to distribute bags of food to very grateful clients.

“Thanksgiving is such an important American family tradition and holiday,” said Bishop O’Connell. “Mount Carmel Guild enables so many families to celebrate it together. No matter what our lives may be like, there is always room for gratitude.”

As the bishop toured the facility, he marveled at this “amazing place where so much good is being done and so quietly, without fanfare or self-promotion.”

“It is the kind of place where Our Lord would feel very much at home,” he said, as he commended Marie Gladney, executive director and her “incredible staff.”

The guild staff, the bishop continued, which works closely with Daughter of Charity Sister Joanne Dress, diocesan executive director of social services, “have brought Christ and his love to those who are most in need here in Trenton.”

“They are a blessing and a special reason for my thanks to God this holiday,” said Bishop O’Connell.

Gladney said she anticipates that the guild will serve between 700-800 dinners to families this year. The families will include regular clients as well as folks who are referred through other social service agencies, such as Catholic Charities, the Mercer County Board of Social Services and the Division of Children and Families.

Gladney noted that each recipient will receive all the trimmings to make a Thanksgiving dinner – fresh produce, boxes of stuffing, desserts and, of course, a turkey. All of the food is donated from churches of various faith traditions, Catholic schools and civic organizations.

“This is part of our mission,” said Gladney. “Here we are putting our faith into action. It’s our responsibility to serve those less fortunate. People have come on hard economic times and now we are trying to provide a little hope for them so that they could have a Thanksgiving meal like everyone else.”

Among the scores of volunteers who come out in the days and weeks before the food distribution to help sort the foods were senior citizen groups, many of whom have longtime volunteer experience with the guild, and a large number of children, youth and young adults. Members of the Catholic campus ministries of Rider University, Lawrenceville; The College of New Jersey, Ewing, and Aquinas Institute, Princeton, were in attendance, as well as youth group members from St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, and St. James Parish, Pennington.

Among the youngsters were 10-year-old Abby Duff, of St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, and her eight-year-old brother, Nate, who gladly lent a helping hand.

“It’s nice and it makes me feel good to help people,” said Nate Duff, who told of how he comes with his parents and sister each year to help with the food drive.

Princeton University student Leland Baldwin, who is active in the Aquinas Institute, spoke of why he enjoys community service.

“My family always used to help out with Thanksgiving where we would help to deliver the turkey baskets,” said Baldwin. “Now it’s cool to be on the other side and helping to make the baskets.”