For many nonprofit organizations, the week leading up to a holiday such as Thanksgiving can be busy — even more so this year amid a state budget impasse and federal government shutdown that were only solved recently.
But Bethlehem’s New Bethany might lay claim to being the busiest agency in the Lehigh Valley this week.
On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, several workers joined with area volunteers to serve a lunch of turkey, pork, desserts and culinary accompaniments to nearly 50 adults. There were plenty of leftovers as well.
Attendance for the free meal might have seemed down, even anticlimactic, since agency staff and volunteers distributed hundreds of turkeys to families starting Monday and continuing into Wednesday. Bethlehem police prepared a full meal Tuesday at New Bethany’s Drop-In Center on West Fourth Street.
Still, at the same location Thursday, people waited in line, braving the cold, to catch a meal and some warmth from a community of cooks, servers and others.
“People who come on this day are people who truly need somewhere to be,” said Brandy Garofalo, New Bethany’s food access director, who was helping in the kitchen about an hour before the noon serving.
Veteran volunteer Florence Kimball of Bethlehem and first-timer Donna Devlin of Quakertown, who came with her great niece, Melody Jansen, a Liberty High School student, helped separate meat from the turkey carcass. No matter the work, they and other volunteers say the occasion is all about helping out.
Cheryl Turtchanow enjoys her food Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Volunteer Cindy Levin of Bethlehem Township smiles as she serves food Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Maria Silva enjoys her food Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Food Access Director Brandy Garofalo carries a tray of food to be served Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Volunteers Christine Hubany and Lauren Levin, 12, serve Bob Hawk and others on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Volunteers Christine Hubany and Lauren Levin, 12, serve food on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Volunteers Lauren Levin, 12, and Florence Kimmel help serve food Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Southside Drop-in Center Coordinator Matt Fowler, stirs freshly prepared carved turkey on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Volunteers serve food on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Volunteer Florence Kimmel, of Bethlehem smiles as she helps serve food Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Volunteers serve food on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Volunteers serve food on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
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Cheryl Turtchanow enjoys her food Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, during New Bethany’s annual free Thanksgiving meal in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
“It’s Thanksgiving, and it’s a way of giving thanks for all the blessings that I enjoy,” said Kimball, a retiree who used to serve on the New Bethany board of directors.
Visitors, such as Eladio Adorno, were grateful to share a meal with strangers or others who frequent New Bethany for other services.
“I’m sure everybody here appreciates it,” Adorno said, clutching a cup of coffee as he waited in the Drop-In Center for the food to be served.
Not many visitors wanted to speak on this day, but those who did recounted problems besides the recent federal government shutdown. They included health issues, drug addictions, homelessness or evictions. Those like Adorno who shared their stories expressed their appreciation for having a warm place and a warm meal.
“I don’t know what I would have eaten today; maybe raisin bread or a turkey sandwich, or maybe a Wawa sandwich that they give you,” he said. “A snack bag they call it. I live off that.”
Adorno also said he got caught in the Washington shutdown that curtailed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits he depends on. He said his benefit, which normally arrives around the 10th of each month, got delayed since the shutdown wasn’t resolved until Nov. 12.. Pennsylvania resumed distributing SNAP benefits Nov. 13.
The 65-year-old, who retired after surgeries cut short his career in warehouse packaging, said he is grateful for whatever benefits he receives.
“I’m not complaining, because I could have been left homeless,” Adorno said. But he also noted that more recently, food prices combined with the lapse in SNAP benefits, were difficult to bear.
Two million Pennsylvanians rely on SNAP, including 97,000 across Lehigh and Northampton counties, according to Second Harvest Food Bank.
In an email disseminated Thursday, Lehigh Valley U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie noted the average cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is down about 5% compared to last year, citing data from the American Farm Bureau Federation.
“Thanksgiving meals might be down,” New Bethany Executive Director Marc Rittle said, “but the cost of just buying groceries in general is still high. We’re seeing more people because of the [high] cost of living.”
When he started as executive director in 2019, Rittle said, between 50 and 60 people dined each day at the center, and five to seven families stopped in to its food pantry.
This year, he said, the daily averages have been 140 people in the dining room and 20 families coming for food every day.
“To me it was disastrous already,” Rittle said. “And then these things happened with the state budget impasse and the federal shutdown. Now that those thing are resolved, maybe the cost of the Thanksgiving meal is less, but we’re not seeing the change in the overall crisis we have seen since as recently as September.”
Other nonprofits in the Valley that were scheduled to serve free Thanksgiving Day meals included Jordan United Church of Christ in South Whitehall Township and St. John United Church of Christ in Slatington.
New Bethany, which turned 40 this year, has provided more than 1.1 million meals. In addition, it has assisted more than 2,000 residents through its housing programs.
Contact Morning Call reporter Anthony Salamone at asalamone@mcall.com.