Action Center brings Turkey Day to those in need

For another year, The Action Center helped thousands of Jefferson County families have a delicious Thanksgiving with its food distribution event.

The Nov. 20 food distribution at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood provided 1,500 families with about 2,000 boxes of Thanksgiving food. About 400 volunteers, including employees from Physician Health Partners and COBiz Foundation (both of which provided financial support to buy the food), loaded up those in need with the ingredients for a great holiday: potatoes, vegetables, stuffing, gravy, pie and a voucher for a turkey or ham at Safeway.

Clients drove their cars up through the stadium parking lot, where volunteers handed out the food and health care information.

“This year we were able to get clients through the process in less than 12 minutes,” said Barbara Penning, director of Volunteer Programs at the Action Center. “After so many years, we have it down to a science.”

Here is what some of the people who helped put on the event had to say:

Point 1: Mag Strittmatter, executive director of the Action Center –; “This year was fabulous. We had a great group from Physician Health helping us, and had nine distribution lanes to serve the clients. It’s so fun to see all the volunteers, and it’s such a joyful day.”

Point 2: Abby Brookover, director of communications with Physician Health Partners –; “We were able to come up with the funds to pay for the food through donations and employee fundraising. We raised $ 20,000 that way. The center does so much great work, and for us, being able to provide for so many people is really important.”

Point 3: Barbara Penning, director of Volunteer Programs at the Action Center –; “Our volunteers are able to have direct interaction with clients, and the joy these volunteers give to clients is huge. I love it when we have volunteers who dress up like turkeys, and really make it special. How can you not laugh and smile when you see that?”

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