Thanksgiving Volunteers Pay It Foward In Boston
BOSTON (CBS) – It's the spirit of the season – giving, be it food, money or time. It's the time of year people remember to give back.
Volunteers around the city prepared food for thousands of homeless men and women in Boston. Mary Scott spent her morning setting up tables at The Women's Lunch Place on Newbury Street.
"It'll cheer me up for the rest of the day being here and helping out," she told WBZ-TV.
Scott has been helping out at here for nearly three decades. She of all people knows how important a safe space is during the holiday season. She was homeless herself not long ago.
"They give you clothing, bedding if you need it, let you rest if you're tired from being up all night," Scott said.
"People are who are homeless or poor are sort of ostracized in our community. We walk by them, we don't see them as people sometimes and we seek to change that," said the center's chef Sherry Hughes.
Across town new Bruins left winger Matt Beleskey delivered pies to the Pine Street Inn on Harrison Avenue, which serves more than 9,000 homeless men and women every year.
"We went to family shelter in Dorchester and there were a lot of young kids who are excited hopefully some new Bruins fans," Beleskey said.
Mayor Marty Walsh stopped by to help carve the turkey for the more than 875 men and women expected to show up.
Oftentimes these volunteers end up getting back as much as they give. In some cases those they help get back on their feet make a point to pay it forward.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports from the Pine Street Inn: