Thanksgiving Angels Leaders Honored as Commonwealth Heroines
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Thanksgiving Angels leaders were deemed "heroines" for bringing food to the holiday tables of thousands each year.
During Tuesday's City Council meeting, Hope Amandos and Gretchen Debartolo were honored as Commonwealth Heroines by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. Last fall, the two were selected as iBerkshires' Community Heroes of the Month.
Thanksgiving Angels, a meal kit distribution initiative, served more than 2,200 local families in need last year. This year, food insecurity is reportedly even worse.
"This year, trying to decide who would be, of the many, many wonderful women in the city of Pittsfield, who we should lift up, I thought of the work around food insecurity," state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier said.
"Food insecurity has been a growing problem over the years, and this year, it is getting harder and harder. There are more people who are food insecure, and there are less resources to have them be fed, and it is a scary thing."
She partnered with state Sen. Paul Mark to nominate Amandos and Debartolo for the award. Mark was unable to join because of a transportation hearing at the State House.
"At the Commission on the Status of Women, we often say Commonwealth Heroines are the women who may not always make the news, but who always make a difference," MCSW Commissioner Divya Chaturvedi said.
"Each year, the commission partners with state legislators to identify women who make outstanding contributions to their organizations and communities and recognize their invaluable efforts."
For 14 years, more than 20 religious and community organizations locally have worked together to create free meal kits for people who would otherwise go without. These include everything needed for a Thanksgiving spread — even the turkey.
"Thanksgiving is closer than you think, and any donations that you can give us, especially money, because we're going to have to buy a lot of food this year, would be so greatly appreciated," Debartolo said.
In 2024, around 500 volunteers helped with the entire process, and around 100 packed into the South Congregational Church for drive-through distribution. Amandos and Debartolo took over the reins from longtime coordinator Mary Wheat, who also founded the South Community Food Pantry.
When the pandemic hit, the program had to find a new way to distribute the food and implemented a quicker drive-up method.
"I think we all know the work of the legendary Mary Wheat and what she did around Thanksgiving Angels," Farley-Bouvier explained.
"She pulled that coalition together, and somehow these two women said, 'Yes, I will pick up the mantle.' Now, mind you, it took two of them to pick up the work of Mary Wheat, but they have done it."
Chaturvedi said the two women "bring hope, not just in name but in action, to 1000s of families across Berkshire County." She was appointed the executive director of the Elizabeth Freeman Center last year.
"Through Thanksgiving Angels, your dedication ensures that no family is forgotten during the holiday season," she said.
"At the Elizabeth Freeman Center, we work every day with survivors of domestic and sexual violence who are facing food insecurity. We see firsthand just how critical your work is and how much it matters. Your impact is far-reaching, deeply meaningful, and a true reflection of what it means to be a Commonwealth Heroine."
The commissioner explained, "As a new resident of Berkshire County, I'm deeply honored to witness the incredible contributions of those who make this community such a remarkable place to call home."
Mayor Peter Marchetti noted Mark and especially Farley-Bouvier's efforts to nominate women who are instrumental in supporting the community. The designation had first been called "unsung heroines."
"I think our representatives did this for the whole eight years that I served as council president, and I know that we worked together this year," he said.
"The representative does great work in trying to honor women of the city of Pittsfield with the Heroine Award. She usually ties it to an issue that is vital for the community at this time."
Amandos and DeBartolo run Thanksgiving Angels on a volunteer basis. In their day jobs, they saw the great need to address community needs due to financial restraints.
Amandos has volunteered for the Thanksgiving Angels for about 11 years, and DeBartolo for 14. DeBartolo also volunteers for the South Community Food Pantry.
Tags: commission on women, recognition event, unsung heroine,
