A group of Barry Law School students, faculty, staff, and friends participated in the Salvation Army’s largest Thanksgiving meal in the state of Florida, serving almost 25,000 turkey dinners to the needy in Orlando. Susan Bendlin and Jane Goddard represented the faculty and staff. Other Barry Law volunteers included Abeer Amin, Samantha Ayala, Kelly Beattie, Greg Bendlin, Andrew Carlson, Kimberly Chavers, Elena Crosby and family, Jasmine Guadalupe, Evan Kidd, Natasha Kyei-Donkor and guest, Katerina Kurbatova, Patrick MacCallion, Jennifer Murray, Mai Nguyen, Ariel Niles, Albert Northrup and son, Mary Sammon, Erin Sperger, Joseph Sutter, and Jennifer Watson. Roughly 1,000 volunteers showed up to help in shifts on Thanksgiving Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Golden Corral and other community sponsors put on the feast, providing truckloads of turkeys and hams, thousands of pounds of mashed potatoes, and 800 gallons of gravy. Volunteers also gave away toiletry kits and toys. Sprint provided free long-distance telephone service.
Barry’s volunteers helped greet the guests, dished out food, made chocolate-dipped strawberries, and picked up trash. The group also met Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings and his spouse, Valerie, a Congressional candidate, who were on hand for the huge community event.