Posted at: 11/24/2009 10:21 PM
Updated at: 11/24/2009 11:45 PM
By: Kumi Tucker

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Gourmet Help for Community Dinner

TROY -- Feeding people is what Old Daley Inn does.  The high-end catering company in North Troy is used to turning out a lot of delicious food for groups, big and small.  Now they are whipping up a Thanksgiving feast not only for their customers, but also for hundreds of people expected at a free community dinner at the Missing Link Street Ministry.

For Old Daley Inn Catering, it's not just a holiday thing.  Every Wednesday, they bring dinner to the church for 100 in need.

"It's a good thing for us and it's a good thing for the kids, and it goes directly to the kids so it's a great donation," said Old Daley owner Gene Coletti.

Owner Marty Keary added: "Well you know, I've been down there a couple of times to see the kids faces, and that's really enough for us."

"For Pastor Willie and the kids, we do this every week," said owner Jim Pettit.  "This is just a little bigger."

A lot bigger, actually.  The tables are set, and the hall spruced up.  This year, the dinner has expanded along with the need to three locations: here at the church, the Fallon Rainbow Center and Griswold Heights. 

Up the street, MJ's On the Avenue is cooking a couple of the roasts and helping bring in volunteers.

"I think this year, the economy and people are having such a hard time and losing their jobs and it's important to try to help as much as you can," said owner Mary Jo Van Patten.

There are other, larger community dinners around, but Pastor Willie said he wanted to offer one at home.

"If we could reach a few more people in the community and the surrounding areas, and let them know right here in your own back yard in the city of Troy, you've got somebody who loves you and concerned about whether you have a good Thanksgiving or not," said Reverend Willie Bacote of the Missing Link Street Ministry.

Donations came in from local businesses, and a mystery donor in North Central Troy just gave two thousand dollars yesterday.