Money is of no concern for a woman of faith with a compassionate heart when she's on a mission.
May Bennett, 83, of Middletown, has made a tradition the past six years of feeding the homeless on Thanksgiving. With determination, she makes sure she cooks enough so no one goes hungry.
Spotlight Deliverance Temple, at 119 Walnut St. in Bristol, allows her to set up in the church and feed the hungry. Over the last few years, some members of the church have stepped up to help serve the hot meals.
Her job is to "feed the people," as she recently put it.
She begins preparing for the great task by setting aside money from her fixed income and shopping one item at a time throughout the year. Bennett does all the cooking in the compact kitchen in her Foxwood Manor apartment.
Her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews help her succeed in her task of feeding the homeless in the area. They drive around to areas the homeless are known to frequent and bring them to the church for Bennett’s feast of turkey, ham, roast beef, collards, macaroni and cheese and other home-cooked foods and desserts. At times, the family has delivered food on disposable platters to people in local parks.
After serving all those who come to the church between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., the Bennett family gathers up the leftovers and takes them home to enjoy.
Her son Lawrence Bennett of Bristol said the area's homeless now anticipate the feast and ask about it. “Homeless people on the streets ask, ‘Is your mom having Thanksgiving dinner,’ ” he explained. “My mom is a good humanitarian.”
May Bennett said her mother influenced her.
“Mom used to see people traveling and we lived near the railroad,” she said. “She said if you see someone with nothing, share what you have with them.”
After her husband passed away in 2003, Bennett prayed for a mission.
“Lord give me a job. And He said, ‘Feed the people,’ ” she explained.
Before her husband died, she and her daughter would cook a big feast and her husband would go out in search of people on the streets.
According to her family, Bennett has always felt very compassionate about those who are homeless with nowhere to go. She was blessed with a big heart and cooking skills, which she gladly shares with those less fortunate than herself. She doesn’t like to see anyone go hungry, she said.
“I never counted how many people come because I am too busy serving,” she said.
She also said she doesn’t care how much she has spent doing this because it is not about the money. She keeps no record of it. It's all about her compassion for others.
