'You mean we get all this for free?': 100 Women of Lake Highlands delivers Thanksgiving meals

100 Women of Lake Highlands deliver food to Thurgood Marshall families

Members of 100 Women of Lake Highlands and their neighborhood supporters greeted families of Thurgood Marshall Elementary students last Thursday with a gift – no strings attached. The students took home a family-sized, fully-cooked Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. Crispin Deneault, co-founder of the organization, said the donation was the perfect way to cap off 100 Women’s inaugural year.

“Lake Highlands is truly amazing,” said Deneault. “Because of the community’s generous support, we fed not only Thurgood Marshall but we were able to give about 200 meals to Skyview Elementary kiddos and their families, too.”

The project was an ambitious undertaking.

“We chose Thurgood Marshall after hearing from the principal, Dr. Sharon Newman, and a 5th grade teacher, Camille Jacobie. We were shocked to find that nearly 100% of the school is on free and reduced lunch. All we had to do was hear Camille express her fear for ‘her kids’ when they went home for the extended holidays. She worries incessantly that her kiddos won’t eat, and that was enough to make us jump at the opportunity to help. We know it’s not a cure-all, but it’s a reminder to these kiddos that there are people in this world who care about them and are praying for them this holiday season.”

Besides contributions from members and the LH community, Deneault said one donation was especially key.

“Michael Chase, manager of Tom Thumb on Lovers Lane, gave us a 10% discount once he realized what we were doing and the magnitude of the project. I will never forget his reaction when I told him we needed 600+ turkey meals. They also stepped up by offering to deliver the meals in a semi with their store mascot and Rowdy from the Dallas Cowboys.”

“The reaction of the parents and children was memorable,” added Deneault. “So many commented in awe, ‘You mean we get all this for free?’ One lady kept feeling the weight of the meal and in awe replied, ‘this weighs more than what I get from my weekly rations at the Dallas Food Bank. Bless You.’ Some cried. We definitely felt like the gesture, though small, was extremely appreciated.”

“This event was meant to be a community event hosted by 100 Women,” said Deneault. “100 Women really wanted to include the neighborhood to (a) give folks a sense of what we’ve been up to, (b) help educate people about a school they may not have known about and (c) participate in something we could all rally behind and support. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – Lake Highlands, just wow!”

The 100 Women of LH group, founded in May with the aim of meeting 3-4 times yearly and selecting one charity at each gathering, has been successful beyond the imaginings of creators Lynsey Purl, Amy Timmerman, Beth Arnold, Gabi Buehring, Veronica Deats, Claire Reyes and Deneault. Though the goal was 100, membership in 2016 approached 200. Membership is open to the public, and you may join for 2017 here.