Volunteers make a happy Thanksgiving for families

It sounds familiar, but for some it sounds like a stretch. For those without the means for the typical American Thanksgiving feast, there is often less to say grace over.

Thats true for 100 fewer families this week thanks to the efforts of an industrious crowd of volunteers and contributors. The parking lot at Albertson's at Bonita Beach Road and Imperial Street is always full of cars loading groceries, but Sunday morning it was central dispatch.

Organizers hope the effort provides 1,000 meals for families identified by the Lee County Sheriff's Office, whose V.O.I.C.E. volunteers worked as delivery people, along with local schools and others.

Bonita Springs Councilman Ben Nelson and wife Lori man the lists, with Ben plotting delivery routes on the map. Fund-raising is by vendors at Flamingo Island Flea Market.

"We have to turn down volunteers every year," flea market general manager Gene Vaccaro said. "Everybody wants to help, which is wonderful."

Vaccaro said the flea market vendors raised not quite $4,000 to buy traditional turkey dinner fixings and more.

"With Albertson's' help, we got about $6,000 off the shelves," he said.

"Gene does most of the fund-raising," said Jack Drew, manager of Albertson's. "It's more important this time of the year. I know that's what Gene is all about and that's what Ben and Lori are all about."

Drew came in early on Sunday, and had the store's bakery open even earlier, so needy families would be eating fresh rolls with their Sunday dinners.

For some of the youngest beneficiaries, however, the turkey is not the star bird. Bright pink plastic blow-up flamingos accompanied each bag and box.

"A bag, a box and a bird," Vaccaro said. "There are kids in every house, and they love to see the birds."