This week is a busy week for Wilton Social Services, which coordinates the distribution of several dozen baskets filled with items for a complete Thanksgiving meal, to the Wilton families in need that they assist. To do so, Wilton’s social worker Lauren Hughes relies on countless Wilton residents and groups to contribute the items and put together the baskets. Groups including girl scout troops, various real estate offices, the Wilton Moms Club, Wilton Newcomers Club and many, many more work to make sure the clients of Wilton Social Services can enjoy a wonderful holiday.
One such group that organized a Thanksgiving Basket effort was the Working Moms of Wilton group, an ad hoc group that exists to support and provide an outlet for working Wilton mothers, mainly through a Facebook page and occasional events.
About a dozen members of the group met on Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Wepco complex to assemble baskets with the items contributed by the larger Working Moms group. They brought with them about 15 children who helped put everything together.
Vivian Lee-Shiue and Jennifer Diagonale are admins of the group, and they organized Saturday’s effort for the Working Moms of Wilton.
“As working moms, we don’t always have the opportunity to give back to the community in some of the more traditional ways, simply because our schedules do not allow it. The Thanksgiving basket and holiday gift efforts gave us the opportunity to do just that, while also getting our kids involved. It was a great way to show our children that small collective efforts can make a big difference,” Lee-Shiue
In total, the group assembled enough items for three complete baskets, each of which included the following items: 14-pound (or more) fresh or frozen turkey, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beans, bread cubes, cranberry sauce, gravy, milk, butter, pumpkin pie, apple pie, apple cider, celery, onions, whipping cream, cookies, centerpiece, roasting pan (aluminum), tablecloth, napkins, candles and nuts.
But they didn’t stop there. At least a half dozen more moms also stopped by to drop off personal care products for the food pantry; in all the group collected five large bags and boxes full of items. In addition to that, 15 moms have asked for holiday wish lists from families in need in Wilton. “The moms specifically chose gift lists because they wanted to include their kids in shopping for these children in need within our community,” Lee-Shiue added. As well, the Working Moms collected an additional $450 in cash as part of that same holiday gift program.