Just after 8 a.m. on a gray and damp November morning, Dr. Bruce Sofferman dressed as a pilgrim and waved down passing motorists on Bridgeport Avenue to make roadside donations of Thanksgiving turkeys and packaged food for the needy.
It was chilly, and Sofferman and his entourage — including one guy dressed as a turkey — did their best to keep moving and ward off the cold.
They wore gloves over their outfits, from Costume Bazaar in New Haven.
“Where’s the sun?,” Sofferman asked his wife, Deborah, who stood beside him dressed as a lady pilgrim.
Unfortunately, the economy is gray and cool this Thanksgiving, as the Soffermans mark more than two decades raising food for the needy, mostly through Area Congregations Together Inc., and the Valley Food Bank Network.
The goal this year is 1,000 frozen turkeys and fixings, up more than 25 percent from the 600 meals that were distributed through the Valley Food Bank Network last year, said Susan J. Agamy, Executive Director for ACT.
The worst recession since the Great Depression means the homeless and the needy need help more than usual.
“The need is bigger than last year,” said John Grovarelli, case manager at ACT, which operates the Valley’s homeless shelter, Spooner House, at 30 Todd Road.
“The problem is we are not at the number of turkeys we were at this time last year, so we need more turkeys, more holiday baskets,” Grovarelli said.
Deborah looked at the stack of a dozen or so plastic grocery bags that drivers had dropped off in more than an hour and said she’s seen better times.
Local news outlets had publicized the fact that the costumed group would be out there collecting.
“It’s a slower start than years past, definately. Unfortunately it’s the worst we’ve seen yet,” Deborah said.
The group stood outside the former Crabtree auto dealership at 405 Bridgeport Avenue.
They will continue their flagging and waving Thursday in front of Sofferman’s Smile Dental Center at 318 Oxford Road in Oxford, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
It’s easy to spot — just look for the costumed turkey and pilgrims waving from the side of the road.
There will also be a drive Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the eighth grade gold team from Seymour Middle School collecting frozen turkeys at 211 Mountain Road in Seymour.
For the Soffermans, who also operate a Smile Dental Center at 61 Elizabeth Street in Derby, it’s a way to give back to the community that has provided them with a business all these years.
“We thought it would be a good thing to bring more smiles to communities around the Naugatuck Valley area where we work and spend time. We’ve been sticking with it,” Deborah said.
She has a philosophy about lending a helping hand.
“If every community across the country would hlep their neighbors the communities would improve,” she said.
