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Hoodstock, a local community organization, donated a Thanksgiving dinner Monday to the Winters family in Patterson. Two people nominated the family to receive a dinner from the organization. (The Daily Review/Zachary Fitzgerald)

Thanksgiving blessing

Community group donates dinners to families in need

The Winters, a family of 10 people living in Patterson, got a welcome visit Monday from a local group hoping to make their Thanksgiving a little brighter in the midst of tough times.

Community organization, Hoodstock, donated Thanksgiving dinners consisting of a turkey, ham and sides to four families in the parish.

Two families from Patterson, a Morgan City family and a Franklin family received the dinners. The Winters family in Patterson was among those families.

Hoodstock is a committee of young professionals and residents who believe in giving back to their community, according to its Facebook page.

The organization accepted nominations through its Facebook page and selected the families who were most in need, Hoodstock founder Courtney Long said. Hoodstock received two nominations for the Winters family.

“It was pretty extraordinary to have two different people, separate people, who didn’t know each other, nominate the same family,” said Danika Foley, Hoodstock committee member.

“That actually played very well with the reviewing committee,” Foley said.

Shane Winters and her husband, Daniel Winters, who’s out of work due to an injury, have eight children who live with them and are “very active in the community,” Foley said.

“There was definitely a need. So that’s how we chose them,” Foley said.

Shane Winters said her husband recently hurt his back and has been out of work for 3½ months.

“When you have 10 children, it can be pretty rough,” Winters said. “The fact that not one, but two people thought that my family was worth a nomination is kind of overwhelming.”

Shane Winters expressed great appreciation for Hoodstock and its efforts to help bring a happy Thanksgiving to families in need.

The Winters have children from 1 year old to 25 years old. Eight children live in their Patterson home, and they also have two adult children.

Courtney Thomas Malagarie of Lafayette knows the Winters because both families home school their kids.

Malagarie knew the Winters “had hit a rough spot,” she said.

“I’ve been there before, so whenever I saw that there was an organization offering that I just knew I had to nominate (the family),” Malagarie said.

ST. MARY NOW

Franklin Banner-Tribune
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