To celebrate the 2016 Thanksgiving season, Mountain Valley Treatment Center donated home-cooked meals to local community members.  Spearheaded by Kimberly  Gauquier and Hannah Bolstridge, staff members and residents in Mountain Valley’s Farm-to-Table groups worked diligently in order to fulfill the requests of the Haverhill Welfare Office Director, Leslie Ramsay.  MVTC was asked to prepare four full dinner baskets (feeding approximately six family members), along with three individual plated meals for single or elderly community members. In order to complete the task, Mountain Valley utilized resources such as:

  • home-grown produce, homemade pies & baked goods
  • locally grown turkeys
  • other locally sourced ingredients

In order to fulfill the requests for the baskets, MVTC began reaching out to local farms to acquire ingredients that were not available fresh from the MVTC community garden (in this case, turkeys, green beans and potatoes). After gathering ingredients, the Farm-to-Table groups began preparing the side dishes a few days ahead of time. Each side dish was packaged in disposable tin containers that could be easily baked and re-heated by the families at the time of their meal. Turkeys were requested to be given to families un-cooked.  An appreciative Ramsay came to Mountain Valley this morning (11/22/16) , so that she could deliver the baskets to the families.

Each full dinner basket consisted of:

  • 1 whole turkey
  • 1 homemade pumpkin pie
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Squash
  • Green bean casserole
  • Homemade dinner rolls
  • Stuffing
  • Homemade cranberry sauce
  • Gravy

Each individual plated meal consisted of 1 serving each of:

  • Cooked turkey
  • Homemade pumpkin pie
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Green bean casserole
  • Squash
  • Homemade cranberry sauce
  • Gravy
  • Dinner roll

In order to fulfill the request for individual plated meals, MVTC will prepare one full Thanksgiving meal, which will be delivered to the Haverhill Police Station on Thanksgiving Day. Each individual plated meal was packaged in disposable tin containers that could be used for re-heating. The Haverhill police officers on duty were responsible for delivering the individual plates.

Mountain Valley recognizes the importance, if not obligation, of being a good neighbor – therefore community service initiatives such as this happen frequently.  MVTC is proud to be a member of the Upper Valley and surrounding communities and finds great satisfaction in helping those less fortunate than ourselves.