Simple acts — sharing extra food, donating time — bring people together, teach timeless lessons and touch lives.

        It starts when someone like 11-year-old Howard Mozone, a fifth-grader at Eastern Hills Foreign Language Academy, realizes he has lots of food to share.

Howard Mozone, 11, of Kennedy Heights, is an enthusiastic food donor through his school. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        It continues when a family like the Witts of Maineville decide to volunteer their time to prepare a hot Thanksgiving meal for the homeless.

        It comes together in places such as the downtown Salvation Army, where a youngster like Jason Baker, 12, of Over-the-Rhine, serves a full plate of turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and pumpkin pie to Mike Lucas, 44, a homeless man from Clinton County.

        This kind of direct giving not only teaches children to share, but by looking need in the eye, students are taught to appreciate what they have in their own lives.

        Hunger is something everyone can identify with, Eastern Hills middle school teacher Deb Blakey said. She helped students organize a food drive to teach them about “giving something back to their community.”

        Howard went the extra mile. He's not sure why.

        He cleaned out the family pantry: a jar of peanut butter. Cans of pumpkin, spinach, tomatoes and pinto beans. A jar of applesauce.

        Piled into a straw basket, the food items were adorned with a crayon-colored turkey, made by Howard's brother James, 5.

        “I just did it,” he said, as he waited for Salvation Army soldiers to pick up the food at the school Tuesday.

Volunteer food server Jason Baker, 12, delivers dinner and dessert to Mike Lucas Sunday at the Salvation Army downtown. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

        “We got a whole lot in the closet. We had the basket. My brother made the turkey,” he said. “It makes me feel good, a little bit.”

        Howard's cans will tie many people together, very quickly.

        Ms. Blakey explained to her students what will happen to the cans.

        “They'll be divided up into boxes for families so they can have balanced meals,” Ms. Blakey said. “You guys will be helping a family during Thanksgiving week and the weekend.”

        Yet Howard seems unaware of just how many people his canned goods will encounter once they leave his hands.

        The cans started their journey Tuesday, with about 300 others donated by Eastern Hills students. Inside a Salvation Army truck, the cans traveled from the Mount Washington school to the Salvation Army's headquarters on Central Parkway downtown.

        Inside, they were sorted and packed, to be passed out today to families and other needy residents.

        If food runs low during the agency's annual Thanksgiving meal, some of the canned goods from Eastern Hills could end up on someone's plate.

        But like most social service agencies, the Salvation Army purchased the turkeys, green beans, cranberry sauce, potatoes and pumpkin pies it will serve today well in advance. Preparing a meal for more than 200 people requires planning and lots of preparation, Maj. Philip DeMichael said. And the group saves money by buying the industrial-size.

        As Howard's cans make their way into the Salvation Army, lots of turkeys are headed out, to be cooked at the homes of volunteers. There aren't enough ovens inside to prepare them all.

        Food preparations continued this morning.

        People like Kristen Witt and her parents, Josie and David, all of Maineville, come to help cook and serve. Kristen, 17, a Kings High School senior, was working on community service hours required for graduation.

        She and her parents volunteered on Sunday. Kristen and her mom prepared more than 100 rolls, spreading thick layers of butter on the top of each one. They also cut more than 100 slices of pumpkin pie.

        It was the first time Kristen had done such work. She plans to be back to help today.

        “We're giving them food, and they don't get to eat a meal like this all the time,” Kristen said. “It's very rewarding.”

        The Witts' efforts, and those of other teens fulfilling community service hours, are organized by Linda Savage, the Salvation Army's division command secretary.

        At 9 a.m. each Sunday, she starts preparing meals from whatever goods have been donated throughout the week.

        She runs the kitchen like a tight ship, shouting out orders to put the rolls in the oven or stir the mashed potatoes.

        For Mrs. Savage, serving the meal is a ministry. The Sunday meal began nine years ago as soup and sandwiches centered on a prayer meeting. As more and more people attended, it expanded into a full Gospel service fol lowed by a full Sunday dinner.

        “Some say they get no hot meal during the week, so we let them take seconds and we try to give them good-sized portions,” Mrs. Savage said.

        Hungry men and women arrive shortly after 1 p.m., after a short Gospel service with Maj. Les Bussey in the chapel upstairs. Before they arrive, Mrs. Savage organizes her teens and a group of children from the Salvation Army's Sunday school.

        “Now you're going to serve them at their tables,” she said. “I want you to smile, and wish them a Happy Thanksgiving.”

        Mrs. Savage and her volunteers try to cook enough for 120 people. Today more than 200 meals will be served. On Sunday, 73 men and women came to eat dinner.

        Planted behind three tables, servers like the Witt family filled plates with food as teens and Sunday school children came by with trays. Other volunteers delivered drinks to the men and women seated at tables.

        Jason Baker served a late to Mr. Lucas.

        “It's sort of nice to give back to your community for what they've done for you,” Jason said Sunday. “It sort of just makes you feel good.”

        Mr. Lucas said he appreciated Jason's efforts, and the meal.

        “I'm homeless myself so this means a lot to me,” he said. “If someone's being good to me, I like that.”

        Mr. Lucas said he was happy to see a turkey dinner served on Sunday. He'll be back today to celebrate the holiday with his friends and Salvation Army soldiers.

        “I know many of the people here, and it's a time to see them. Plus, they serve up good food. Yes, they do,” he said, licking some mashed potatoes off his finger.

        In less than 30 minutes, all 73 men and women were served, fed and offered seconds. Before the last guests left the cafeteria, teens were already breaking down tables and washing large serving bins.

        It all went by so fast — an indication of how little time it takes to positively affect someone's life.

        That feeling was expressed by the men and women who popped their heads into the kitchen on their way out.

        They say things like, “Thank you. That food was good. God bless you.”

        A few gave Mrs. Savage hugs. Others reminded her they'll be back today, ready for more servings of warm food and conversation.

        Someone might even take home a basket filled with Howard's cans.
       

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