By Edward B. Colby/Dedham Transcript

Dedham Transcript

Posted Nov 25, 2009 @ 01:11 PM

DEDHAM —  Thanksgiving means family to some people, and football to others. For the Dedham Food Pantry, the November holiday is a prime time to fulfill its mission.

The pantry distributed 131 Thanksgiving meals at its annual “Turkey Day” event over the weekend, giving out turkeys and assorted fixings such as potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing and gravy.

 The food will go a long way for one Dedham mother, who said she would be able to use her 10-pound turkey for leftovers like sandwiches and soup.

 “I’m a single mom, and things don’t always meet every week when payday comes, and what have you,” said Lori, who has been going to the pantry regularly for the last three years to pick up food for her daughter and herself. “I think it is a big help to everyone who goes there, even though everybody does have to swallow their pride, with the way the economy’s going and everything.”

 “For this Thanksgiving, I couldn’t be more thankful for getting what I’m getting,” said Steve, a Dedham resident who picked up a turkey and goodies such as carrots and sweet potatoes for his family of three. Saturday’s birds were donated by Roche Bros.