Editor:

Project Pilgrim 2008, our community’s complimentary Thanksgiving feast, was a bountiful success. I begin by thanking our assistant event chairman, Michelle Foster for her wonderful ability of organizing the volunteers and making sure that the event ran smoothly. Our chef, John Hughes and sous chefs Mario Barros and David Smith prepared a delicious feast for all. Musical entertainment was provided by Skip Williams and Joan Fox throughout the entire dinner. The dining hall was beautifully decorated and dinner placemats were made by the students of the elementary schools in Kennenbunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel and hall greeters were organized by Mary McLaughlin, our hall coordinator. And many thanks to Rev. Ruth Miriam for our blessing.

John LeProhon, our fundraising and donation coordinator worked diligently to gather donations. Denise and Greg Hammond, our transportation coordinators organized the drivers for the dinner deliveries, and even delivered treats for our guest’s pets and flowers to all. Bob Rooney was our safety coordinator, a first time position and he organized it well, right to the parking lot attendants to instructing the volunteers on how to assist our guests. Sally Rooney, our wait staff coordinator, organized the many wait staff volunteers who assisted our guests with going up to the buffet tables, to having all their dining needs met. Karen Mackenize our dessert and beverage coordinator could not get over all the pie and bakery donations and enjoyed serving our guests dessert of their choice. Our bountiful bread donation table was organized by Barbara Bridges. This year the committee wanted the buffet line to move more quickly and decided to have two buffet tables and they were organized by our buffet coordinators Holly Dee and Pam Thompson. Community Harvest Student Volunteer Coordinator Julie Bourgeois organized the Interact student volunteers of Kennebunk High School to help with the hall set-up the evening before the event. Nancy and Jessie Buch were the clean-up coordinators and worked hard to ask all the volunteers to help clean up in anyway and the clean-up ran smoothly, we are all appreciative to that. Ruth, Dick and Julie Miriam were the kitchen clean-up coordinators and all the chefs are grateful to them in every way. John Kotsonis was our public relations coordinator and one very important part of the PR was to get out the 2,500 flyers to all the school students and with Mary McLaughlin’s help that was a success.

On the morning of our first Project Pilgrim 1999, a young mother came to the hall with and her two daughters dressed up as “little pilgrims” holding baskets of candy, and she asked if they could go around to our guests and wish them a “happy Thanksgiving.” The answer of course was “yes,” and that began the tradition of the “Little Pilgrims” at every Project Pilgrim. Many thanks to Karen Mackenize and her daughters Kristin and Kaitlin for having the compassionate vision to bring an extra smile to all, and what a wonderful tradition it is. This year Kristin and Kaitlin organized our new littlest pilgrims to bring an added smile to all our guests.

Our thanks for all the coordinators, volunteers and sponsors for their dedication to the mission of Project Pilgrim! Project Pilgrim could not be as successful each year without their contribution of heart and soul! Project Pilgrim is a complimentary Thanksgiving feast for one and all. Our guests are invited to enjoy a complimentary dinner and can enjoy socializing together as they enjoy the festivities. We provide transportation for our guests to and from the event, and deliver a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with flowers in a vase and pet treats too. A community member may pick up a Thanksgiving dinner for a neighbor too. From the first Project Pilgrim 1999, Ken Mitchell has done just that for his neighbors in Wells.

Special thank you to the following individuals and local businesses for their generous support: in alpabetical order: All Day Breaksfast (Kennebunk), AmeriPride Linen (Somersworth, NH), Blooms and Heirlooms (Kennebunk), Borealis Breads (Wells), Christ Church (Kennebunk), Garden Street Market (Kennebunk), Hannaford Supermarkets (Wells), Herb’s Market (Kennebunk), Hissong Development (Kennebunk), Kelts Gordon and Family, Kennebunk Police Department, Panera Bread (Biddeford), Port Bakery (Kennebunk), Shaw’s Supermarkets (Biddeford), Shield’s Meats and Produce (Kennebunk), St. Martha’s Church (Kennebunk), Super Shop and Stop (Kennebunk), SYSCO of Northern New England, Wallingford Farms (Kennebunk) and Woodman, Edmands, Danylik and Austin, P.A. (Biddeford).

Many thanks to the Community Harvest Board of Directors and Kerry de Bree, our executive director for their commitment and support. The Project Pilgrim Committee would like to thank John Hughes, Project Pilgrim and Community Harvest co-founder, and Community Harvest board director for being Project Pilgrim’s chef for the past 10 years.

We hope he continues to grace us all with this festive feast for many years to come. And many thanks to John LeProhon, Project Pilgrim and Community Harvest fundraising and donation coordinator and board member, for your Project Pilgrim photography work, community jar collection and bottle drive collection programs, your donation work from our local businesses to include food, bakery goods and contributions of all kinds for the past 10 years, we thank you.

A “Project Pilgrim Thank You Get Together” for our coordinators and volunteers will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 9:30 am at St. Martha’s Church in the back of the church, located on Route 1, Kennebunk. There will be a brief committee meeting and then refreshments to be served, please RSVP at 967-1911.

Project Pilgrim is sponsored by Community Harvest a 501(c)3 non-profit organization providng food sharing and community assistance programs such as: Project Pilgrim, Project Harvest organizing Harvest Cafe and the Noel Dinner, and Project Community organizing Kennebunk scholarships, which are two scholarships awarded to Kennebunk High School students with outstanding community service, activities scholarships for students, and assistance for individuals and families.

Please call 967-1911 or visit www.communityharvestonline.org for information on how to become a volunteer or to make a donation to this important non-profit that serves our community.

The organization mission statement of Community Harvest is: “Community Harvest is a nonprofit organization of the Kennebunks that seeks to meet the needs of its’ neighbors through food sharing, fellowship and financial assistance.” With our heartfelt thanks to one and all and a healthy and happy holiday season and new year ahead!

Donna Marinaro

Project Pilgrim Chairman