Dad hands out free Thanksgiving dinners for 44 YEARS in a row

By Harrison Moore via SWNS

A dad is spending his Thanksgiving handing out free dinners to the needy -- for the 44th YEAR in a row.

Marty Rogers, 66, has been a member of the Immaculate Conception Church since he was a child and spent many years there working with the local community.

In 1977, along with fellow worshippers, he opened up the church on the fourth Thursday of November to dish up dinner for lonely seniors without family.

After feeding dozens of senior citizens and sending them home with a smile on their face they decided to do the same the next year.

And he has returned every year since, and has expanded to feed hundreds of homeless and vulnerable people.

This year was his 44th year in a row as a volunteer spending the holiday helping feed others at his church in the Bronx, New York.

The dad, dubbed Saint Marty by his neighbors, said: "We don't see the people who we help as charity cases or poor unfortunates.

"They're our brothers, sisters, neighbors, and in fact our grandparents - these are the people who built this community.

"Were just trying to make a dent in the universe and offer some warmth and comfort this Thanksgiving to those who need it most."

At first, the dinner only served senior citizens, but it soon expanded to include people experiencing homelessness.

"What we've always tried to do is run the meal like a restaurant and not a soup kitchen," said Marty from the Bronx.

"We sit them down, there's flowers on the table, there's waiters and waitresses and music in the back ground.

"We even tell our waiters and waitresses, when they have a moment, to sit and talk to people because it's just as much about spreading love and cheer as it is about the food.

"After a while more and more people were donating and we were able to start delivering meals on Thanksgiving too.

"We would deliver 200 meals within a 20 block radius, targeting homeless camps, low income areas and care homes.

"This is our 44th year in a row, and we can proudly say to this day we've never missed a Thanksgiving dinner."

The tradition carried on amid the pandemic last year with Marty and his family working closely with local restaurants to produce a "takeout" version of the classic dinner.

The meal includes turkey, fresh veg, stuffing, potatoes and cranberry sauce as well as the choice of a range of fruit juices along with cakes and pastries for desserts.

The entire day is funded by donations from the local community made "five dollars at a time" and businesses from all over the country are keen to help in anyway they can.

Marty gets the turkeys through donations from vendors in Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York and on arrival they are taken home by dozens of families.

They are seasoned, cooked and carved and brought back a few days later ready to be served.

Whilst the Thanksgiving event is Rogers' longest-running project he also operates a food delivery program called "Hope Walks."

This is where he leads volunteers on weekly trips to deliver food and warm clothing to people who are experiencing homelessness.

"We don't see the people who we help as charity cases or poor unfortunates," Marty said.

"They're our brothers, sisters, neighbours, and in fact our grandparents - these are the people who built this community.

"Next year we want to be back full swing in the hall serving the dinners like we used to, but this Thanksgiving there is going to be more deliveries than ever before.

"Because of covid we have an increased population of people who are homeless so we've pulled out all the stops to make sure we can reach as many of them as possible.

"Were just trying to make a dent in the universe and offer some warmth and comfort this Thanksgiving to those who need it most."