By Heather Bellow , The Berkshire Eagle
GREAT BARRINGTON — At the gym Tuesday morning, they set down the dumbbells and lifted the turkeys.There were 60 of the frozen birds, ranging in size, with seven people in workout gear to load them into a car that is headed for People's Pantry at St. James Place.
"It's a great way to give back to the community, especially this time of year," said Michael Bissaillon, owner of CrossFit Great Barrington, where the turkey workout commences this time every year.
CrossFit and its members have, for the last six years, donated all the Thanksgiving turkeys to meet the needs of South County pantry clients; the pantry moved last year to the newly renovated former St. James Church on Main Street, from its previous location at Calvary Baptist Church on Route 41.
John Zutter, a longtime board member and the pantry's new president, said the nonprofit group is seeing an increase over the last few years in the food needs of local families, most of whom are at retirement age.
"We were handling about 45 to 50 families about four to five years ago," he said. "The number has grown to 65 or 70."
Zutter said this is probably a combination of need, as well as word of mouth, and a downtown location that is easier to get to than the former location.
"People are not as mobile in this particular client group," he said.
And so, every year more turkeys are requested by patrons who put their names on a list — this year it was 78. Bissaillon said he was gathering the remaining 18 turkeys for the gym's members who donated the money but could not get to the store to buy a bird.
Zutter said that, since the gym had filled the pantry's need for turkeys every year, this became a CrossFit project.
"He said, "Mike, this is yours," Bissaillon said.
Zutter helped by transporting the turkeys to the pantry, where patrons on the signup sheet came through the door in a steady stream.
Some had been waiting for nearly an hour for the delivery.
Mark Young, smiling widely, was one. The Stockbridge resident said he and other tenants at Pinewoods were going to have a little Thanksgiving party.
"This is a big help," he said.
Young comes to the pantry every week for what he said is about $30 to $40 in food staples, and said the quality and abundance here, particularly of the produce, is "amazing."
That's because nonprofit Backyard Bounty makes weekly deliveries here of excess produce from supermarkets, gardens, farms and farmers markets.
For Thanksgiving, there were other donors: Bard College at Simon's Rock, Berkshire Country Day School and Walter J. Koladza Airport held food drives for canned and prepackaged side dishes, such as cranberry sauce, yams and stuffing, to fill out the dinner.
Volunteer Suzannah Van Schaick was directing the pickup Tuesday. She said there are seven teams of volunteers that rotate at the pantry every week. But the holidays have a special spirit, she added.
"Everyone just opens their heart this time of year," she said. "And the level of generosity is incredible year-round."
While most people picking up turkeys said they were having family to dinner, one gentleman was spending the holiday alone.
"I'm not married, and I didn't get any invitations this year," he said, asking that his name be withheld.
He's had a series of misfortunes over the years that include serious health problems and layoffs. He can't work, he doesn't have a car, and he's now on disability.
But he has solid plans for his turkey that will stretch the holiday.
"I'll cook it up and freeze the rest of it," he said. "I'll make soup."
Heather Bellow can be reached at hbellow@berkshireeagle.com or on Twitter @BE_hbellow and 413-329-6871.
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