Daily News

Wheeler & Taylor Insurance, Claire Teague Senior Center Team Up on Thanksgiving Meals

GREAT BARRINGTON — This Thanksgiving is tough for many local seniors, who won’t be seeing friends and family because of the pandemic. So Wheeler & Taylor Insurance in Great Barrington teamed up with the Claire Teague Senior Center to give local seniors a complete Thanksgiving dinner they can easily prepare at home.

J. Scott Rote, president of the insurance agency, bought oven-ready turkey breast with gravy kits at a local supermarket. He and his staff added vegetables, cranberry sauce, mashed-potato mix, dessert, and four KN95 face masks to each package. In all, the packages will yield about 300 to 350 meals.

Polly Mann-Salenovich, director of the Clare Teague Senior Center in Great Barrington, delivered them to a local senior-housing complex and individual seniors.

“I got wonderful feedback from our seniors,” she said. “Wheeler & Taylor thought of everything. All I had to do was put the packages in our van and deliver them. I was thrilled. It really was wonderful, great fun.”

Rote has also received calls from seniors. One was from an old acquaintance who’s gone through tough times and now can’t get out easily. “He said he hasn’t had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in years and was almost in tears when he called to say thanks,” Rote said.

Separately, Kimberly Briggs, account manager at Wheeler & Taylor, who is also the secretary of the Junior League of Berkshire County, spearheaded employee fundraising for the People’s Pantry in Great Barrington. In total, Wheeler & Taylor employees donated 10 boxes of groceries that were delivered to the pantry by Briggs and Rote.