So Much More Than a Meal

As we approach the Sisters of St. Joseph 35th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner on November 23, we can’t help but celebrate and look back at the last three-and-a-half decades, remembering the Sisters’ foresight and the donors’ generosity that inspired the foundation of our Thanksgiving dinner and fund.

Teresa Marie Bohren, SSJ, and Mary Fromknecht, SSJ, answered the call from Peter Lyons to join in a “Friends of Thanksgiving dinner for the poor and lonely.”  Serving 140 guests at the Marketplace Grill on Thanksgiving Day 1988 has turned into an epic annual event in the lives of those we serve.

The dinner has grown over the years. Along the way, funds raised through the annual appeal in excess of the cost of the dinner were distributed to area agencies that provided need services throughout the year.  Following the 2022 dinner,  excess funds were to more than 60 area food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, college-campus stores, and other agencies.

The 2021 appeal was the most successful to date, raising more than $82,000. The Sisters of St. Joseph Mission & Ministries Foundation has set a goal of $100,000 for the Sisters’ 35th dinner.  Please help us meet this goal with your generous gift.

Your gift will not only make a plentiful holiday meal a reality for more than 1,300 individuals but will continue to support our neighbors and those who serve them all year long. 

The Sisters thank you and will hold you in their prayers. Wishing you God’s blessings this Thanksgiving and always.