For eight years, Brockton ESOL 1 Instructor Carmen Maldonado has collected food to assure a better Thanksgiving Day for families in the community.

“We were talking about being part of the community and helping others,” said Carmen, also a community relations facilitator for the Taunton public schools. “Even one can of corn makes a difference,” she told the students.

The next day people started to bring in donations. The response from students and staff yielded two very large boxes of food. This year the Carmen’s Thanksgiving food drive produced 54 baskets for needy families, nine more than last year.

Members of the TRA staff were asked to choose a food basket recipient from one of the programs. Their choice was Jo-Ann Spencer, a Supported Work client who helped in the office answering phone calls while Maribel was on vacation.

“Jo-Ann is a wonderful mom and a job seeker, currently living in a homeless shelter with her family. She said she can't wait to share the content of the box with the other people living at the shelter this holiday season,” said Barbora Hazuková, South Shore Regional Manager.

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