Norwich ― The numbers coming out of the St. Vincent de Paul Place food pantry and kitchen on Thanksgiving Day were both heartbreaking and uplifting.

Roughly 600 holiday meals distributed to needy clients. More than 980 turkeys provided to those without means – a 46% jump from the previous year.

And more than 100 volunteers who put off their own family gatherings to ensure the less well-off members of their communities knew they were loved.

Inside the nonprofit's Cliff Street space on Thursday afternoon, long tables held warm Styrofoam containers filled with sliced turkey, green beans, stuffing and gravy. Foil-wrapped pies were stacked on racks near urns of coffee.

Colchester residents Peter and Mary McCarty oversaw a fleet of “runners” who ferried bags of meals up a flight of steps and into the cabs and backseats of waiting drivers tasked with delivering the food to apartments and homes across eastern Connecticut.

The McCartys began volunteering at St. Vincent’s more than four years ago and worked stints as runners before moving to the coordination side of the operation.

“Every 15 minutes we’re sending out 50 to 75 meals,” Peter McCarty said, referencing a clipboard. “We’ll end up sending out about 400 and another 200 or so will be picked up right here by individuals.”

Mary McCarty, a former teacher in Norwich, said there was never any question about showing up to help again this year.

“We’ve been blessed in our lives, and this is a day to show gratitude,” she said.

Pantry Executive Director Jill Corbin spent her day on the move, checking in with kitchen workers, greeting clients and consulting with staff. She said her group over a three-day period earlier this week handed out 985 donated turkeys, desserts and assorted side dish ingredients to clients, up from the 676 passed out last year.

She attributed the sharp spike in need this year to variety of factors.

“Inflation, the cost of food, the ending of post-pandemic programs and the doubling of the number of unsheltered people this year – it's a perfect storm,” she said. “But people have been so generous and, since we serve 500 meals a day, six days a week during the years, this kind of service is right in our wheelhouse.”

Inside the kitchen, manager Joshua Cote walked past boiling pots of beans and trenchers of bread stuffing as his crew laid slices of turkey and all the fixings into delivery containers.

Cote, a former private restaurant chef, said it takes about three days to prep the food for the Thanksgiving meal service, from pre-cooking birds to chopping vegetables.

“It’s an entirely different environment than a restaurant, but I love it,” he said. “It’s the fact that we’re in the business of giving this food away to people who need it.”

Pat Varholy, a Mystic resident who’s notched a dozen Thanksgiving meal services under her belt since she began volunteering, spent Wednesday morning – with the help of her husband, David ― filling plastic bags with cups of cranberry sauce, rolls, pats of butter and condiments.

“All the trimmings,” she said. “It took a long time, but I believe this is what God wants me to do.”

For some, the food event was a family affair. April Griffin, one of the day’s 22 drivers, sat inside a truck with her fiancé and three daughters as dozens of meals destined for Norwich senior and disabled apartments were loaded into the vehicle bed.

“It’s just so rewarding to be able to serve people like this today,” she said.

For some volunteers, the work was a reminder that food, shelter and basic dignity can’t be taken for granted.

“I can relate to this, having been homeless for a time in California 30 years ago,” said Ed Ewing, a 76-year-old Moosup resident and longtime pantry volunteer.

Ewing, who began driving a bus for the Southeast Area Transit District years ago, recalled noticing the pantry while driving past its former location near the city’s viaduct.

“And I’d hear about their work from people riding and later saw a lot of them coming here for help,” he said. “This is my chance to give back.”

j.penney@theday.com