Turkey with Sides of Love

With “Turkey Day” just around the corner, it’s again time for the Marco Island Area Association of Realtors (MIAAOR) annual donation of side dishes for the St. Matthew’s House Thanksgiving dinner for the less fortunate.

St. Matthew’s House is a Naples-based homeless shelter, food bank, and substance abuse recovery program provider. Each year, the nonprofit prepares and serves at least 1,000 of the holiday meals, free of charge, at its Airport-Pulling Road main campus, as well as at its satellite facilities and for other organizations. 

People are asked to donate disposable, covered trays of pre-cooked and reheatable side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, baked yams, mashed and baked sweet potatoes, vegetables and other favorites, as well as boxed-up pies. Items that require refrigeration are discouraged, as are dishes with excess liquids.

Donations of canned food and dry goods, like rice, cereal, dry beans, pasta, and other nonperishables, are given to the St. Matthew’s food bank. 

This is the 27th year that MIAAOR has collected side dishes for the charity’s Thanksgiving celebration. MIAAOR CEO Kandy Sweeney said the effort is a meaningful one for the organization and its members.

“We believe that giving back to the community is very important, especially in our business,” said Sweeney. “And they (the membership) look forward to it. Something that we're very passionate about is helping to feed the homeless in Collier County.”

The donation program was started by longtime Marco realtor Bill Filbin. He said St. Matthew’s House’s culinary staff prepares turkeys and hams in the main campus’ kitchen. However, the facility does not have enough ovens or stovetops to prepare all the necessary side dishes for the dinners. 

Since the program’s inception, Filbin, 77, has stayed hands-on and directly involved, basically serving as a one-man operation, buying the pans, at times dispensing them, and even delivering the donations to the St. Matthew’s House main campus on Thanksgiving morning. 

That’s all changing. Health issues related to his exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War have affected his mobility, causing him to curtail his involvement this year. Sweeney is stepping in and assuming his role. 

However, he will continue to be as involved with effort as possible.

Sweeney praised Filbin for his dedication to lifting up those in need through the nonprofit. 

“He is extremely passionate about Saint Matthew's House and the programs that they have,” she said. “Bill is so passionate that it's going to be hard for him to give it up. But he's going to be here. He's going to be with me because I'm not letting him get out of it,” she added with a laugh. “He's going to be a part of it as long as he is able to be some part of it.” 

Filbin is happy to know the effort will continue, even though he’s no longer leading the way.

“I wanted it to continue because of the need,” he explained. “The need is not going to go away. I am going to go away. But all I care about is the charity.” 

When asked what’s been most rewarding about starting and leading the Thanksgiving food donation program, Filbin kept it simple. “I think watching people sit and eat that probably haven't had a cooked homemade meal in a very long time.”

Trays of cooked side dishes and other foods can be dropped off between 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM, Thanksgiving morning, at MIAAOR’s offices, located at 140 Waterway Drive. 

For more information about the Marco Island Area Association of Realtors Thanksgiving prepared side dish food drive, call MIAAOR at 394-5616. For more information about St. Matthew’s House, visit stmatthewshouse.org.