Single mothers at Hope House have their first Thanksgiving dinner together thanks to senior citizens

By JESSICA ALLEN

Date published: 12/3/2003

When Alicia Reynolds was eight months pregnant with her fourth child and living at Thurman Brisben Center, Hope House welcomed her and her children into their family.

Now the 31-year-old resident said it seems appropriate for her and the other 27 Hope House residents to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner at home together.

"Where else could you go and start your life over within two years?" she asked.

But Reynolds and the other mothers didn't have to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen trying to prepare for the perfect holiday dinner.

Residents of Evergreens at Smith Run, an active adult living facility in Fredericksburg, delivered a full-course meal that could feed 35 people.

"All they need to do is heat the food up," Kelly Falise, an assistant manager at Evergreens, said last week.

Falise, who along with the 30 residents purchased the $350 meal from Ukrop's Super Markets, said she wanted to help Hope House because the nonprofit helps homeless and abused women and their children.

When she approached the idea to the residents, she said they were all excited.

"We wanted to be able to do something for people who don't have the luxuries of being home with their families," Falise said. "I didn't want any of those women and children to wonder where their meal was coming from."

She contacted Pam Smith, program director, who told Falise how much food they needed. The nonprofit organization on Lafayette Boulevard, which currently houses six mothers and 21 children, usually goes to other places for Thanksgiving, Smith said. Residents celebrated the holiday at the Black Swan off U.S. 17 last year.

Reynolds said she couldn't be happier that they picked Hope House.

Reynolds, who is saving money to buy a house, said her entire family is in Boston. She moved to Fredericksburg in 1990 and worked as a nanny. Once she lost her job in 2002, she moved into the Thurman Brisben Center with her children and wondered what would happen next.

She learned about Hope House in the first two weeks of her stay and moved in the following week.

"They've been my family since then," Reynolds said. "That's how we are here."

To reach JESSICA ALLEN: 540/368-5036 jiallen@freelancestar.com

Date published: 12/3/2003