Family's Thanksgiving donation marks a 7-year tradition
MIDDLESEX TWP — Grant Ordy has had 100 turkeys on his mind for seven years
At the age of 5, he realized the deeper message behind the Mickey Mouse Christmas show he watched on television.
“On Thanksgiving, they didn't have anything to eat,” said Grant, a Butler Area Middle School sixth grader, who is now 11. “I thought it would be nice if I started getting turkeys so people could have something to eat on Thanksgiving.”
In that moment, his parents, Bob and Tammy Ordy of Butler Township, saw an opportunity to teach their children the value of charity, especially around the holidays.
For the past seven years, the Ordy family, including their two other sons — Seth, 13, and Evan, 8 — have made a Thanksgiving donation to The Lighthouse Foundation, a Christian outreach organization meeting the needs of impoverished people and families in northern Allegheny and Butler counties, a part of their holiday tradition.
Since that time, Grant strove to reach 100 turkeys collected — a goal that kept him pushing every year, Grant said.
“I like it a lot,” he said about passing that goal this year. “It feels good.”
This year, the family unloaded the largest amount of donations they have ever received at the organization on Tuesday evening.
Three vehicles were packed full of their donation: 166 turkeys, 11 hams, $1,050 in monetary donations and about $600 in grocery items, said Bob Ordy.
What started out small has become a growing tradition.
During their first year, the family and their friends collected 11 turkeys, 2 hams and grocery items, he said.
The second year they made fliers and in its fourth year the collections spiked in growth.
The family affair requires each member to work together as they pass out fliers, collect the goods and set up pickups.
This year, people included thank you notes to the family with their donations, he said. Contributors include their places of employment — Treesdale Golf and Country Club and the Ambulatory Surgery Center. Spinneweber Auto Sales donated the van.
When her son came to her at the age of 5, she had to help him, said Tammy Ordy.Caring and loving are the words she uses to describe her children as they have grown through the donation process, Ordy said.The family also donates to other causes, such as toy drives.“Teach them how to appreciate — start early on,” Ordy said. “Thanksgiving means family and being thankful for what we have and making sure others have the same.”Giving has no age limit, said Theresa Rodriguez, marketing and grant manager for the Lighthouse Foundation.“We love involving children in donations because we think it's important they understand that there are people in need and there's something they can do,” Rodriguez said. “There is no donation too big, too small.”Turkeys are the organization's biggest need in the food pantry.“There's definitely a need for this,” she said. “This allows us to serve the growing number of people that we get during the holidays because of seasonal job layoffs, people who have extra family from out-of-town they are trying to feed.”Over the holidays, there is about a 20 percent increase in the amount of people served.Last year, the organization served 1,100 households in November. That number was at 900 households served as of Tuesday.The typical average ranges from 600 households to 800 households on normal months.In turkey weight alone, the Ordy's donation was 2,500 pounds.“For us, Thanksgiving is about showing love and making sure everybody gets to have the same experience of sharing a meal around the table with their family and not having that stress or pressure of providing for that meal,” she said. “We want to relieve the burden of having to provide that food for their families.”Grant said his favorite part is how many families will have a Thanksgiving meal.“Thanksgiving means people going around the table and having something to eat,” he said.
WHAT: The Lighthouse Foundation, a Christian outreach organization meeting the needs of impoverished people and families in northern Allegheny and Butler countiesHOW TO HELP: People can donate any goods that can be found on the Thanksgiving table or at a holiday meal. Examples are canned vegetables, stuffing and gravy.WHEN: Office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.WHERE: 116 Browns Hill Road, Suite 400, Middlesex Township.ONLINE: People can also make monetary donations at thelighthousepa.org/donate.
