SHU Community Raises $14K to Donate 450 Thanksgiving Turkeys to Local Families

Students distribute turkeys and canned goods to community members at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Bridgeport days before holiday

Key Highlights

• ^{The Sacred Heart University community raised more than $14,000 to purchase and distribute 450 turkeys to residents for Thanksgiving}
• ^{SHU’s student government has led the annual turkey drive for 14 years, ensuring local families can enjoy a holiday meal}
• ^{Community Engagement and SHU Athletics collected thousands of nonperishable goods starting in October}
• ^{On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, volunteers gathered at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Bridgeport to hand out turkeys and goods directly to families}

The Sacred Heart University community raised more than $14,000 to purchase and donate 450 turkeys to local residents.

For 14 years, SHU’s student government has organized a turkey drive to ensure local families enjoy a hearty Thanksgiving meal. Generous contributions from students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends enable student government to purchase and distribute turkeys just before the holiday. Support from alum Harry Garafalo ’80 and ShopRite of Milford further ensured that hundreds of local families received a Thanksgiving meal.

Another long-standing tradition is SHU's food drive. In October, SHU's community engagement office and SHU Athletics began asking for donations of nonperishable goods. The effort, led by Arlete Perez Paez, assistant director of community engagement, brought in thousands of items, which were then blessed at SHU’s annual interfaith Thanksgiving service and divvied up into grocery bags. The men’s lacrosse team and women’s equestrian team also helped with the food drive.

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, student-athletes, members of student government, community engagement and the men’s lacrosse team gathered at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Bridgeport to hand out the turkeys and food.

Smiles and friendly exchanges were shared as community members drove up and popped open their trunks so that student-volunteers could place turkeys and shopping bags filled with boxed stuffing, canned corn and jars of gravy into the cars.

“The turkey drive allows us to come together as a community and make a direct impact on families who might otherwise struggle during the holidays,” said Paris Sonnenberg ’26, student government’s vice president of community & unity. “It reminds us that when we show up for others we can help create a holiday season that every family deserves to experience.”

Sonnenberg, a health science major on the pre-physician assistant track, said service is at the heart of Sacred Heart. “One of our guiding values is serving the community,” she said. “The turkey drive is a perfect example of putting our values into motion. When our students, faculty and staff come together to support our neighbors, we show that we are committed to living out our mission.”

Sonnenberg reminded people that the turkey drive is impactful and could truly alter someone’s holiday. “A turkey may seem small to us, but for a family facing financial stress, it can be everything,” she said.

Paez echoed many of Sonnenberg’s statements. “The SHU Thanksgiving food drive is an annual opportunity to stand in solidarity with our neighbors who may be facing challenges during the holiday season,” she said. “By contributing, we embody the values that define who we are as a SHU community, including empathy and a shared responsibility to uplift one another. Through this effort, we affirm that every member of our broader community deserves dignity, nourishment and hope.”

At the interfaith service, the University came together for a moment of reflection and gratitude before the holiday. The SHU gospel choir delivered a powerful and uplifting performance that filled the Chapel of the Holy Spirit with energy and love, setting the tone for the service. Interfaith chaplains offered prayers over the donations, blessing the food and the families who would receive it.

The SHU community can continue to donate to the turkey drive and help families throughout the holiday season by visiting the donation webpage. Community engagement will also continue to collect monetary donations for the adopt-a-family program (which benefits St. Charles as well as Golden Hill Methodist Church in Bridgeport). Visit the adopt-a-family donation webpage to learn more.