By Dale M. King
BOCA RATON – The heart of a Wayne Barton Thanksgiving is a turkey dinner with all
the fixin’s.
What makes it different from a traditional Thanksgiving Day feast is the fact that most of
the 3,000 people who jammed the Wayne Barton Study Center in Boca Raton Monday
probably couldn’t afford to pay for the dinner.
But at the center, not only did they enjoy the meal, they got bags of food to take home.
Barton, whose Study Center provides education, food, a library, computer lab and
recreational facilities to Boca’s needy population, said he’s less concerned about
Thanksgiving and worried more about getting meals to the needy on the other 364 days
of the year.
“One in five children in Palm Beach County goes to bed hungry,” said Barton, who grew
up in public housing in Deerfield Beach. “This is not Haiti or a third-world country. This
is happening right here.”
Thankfully, he said, “at this time of year, people are in the giving spirit.” Barton said he
got most of his turkey and sides from Cheney Bros., Pepperidge Farm and Whole Foods
Market.”
He mused that the kids eating items from Whole Foods Market are from families that
can’t afford to shop there.
Hunger is something kids “don’t deserve.” His annual Thanksgiving feast gives needy
kids and families “time to put aside all their problems. It’s giving you a hand-up, not a
hand-out.”
Barton didn’t stop with the Monday meal. On Wednesday, he was scheduled to “knock
on every door in Pearl City” and give families a turkey.
He said a resident of Boca West also paid to provide meals to the residents of the 96 units
at Dixie Manor.
“We have people coming here from all over South County, not just Boca,” he said.
How to solve the problem? “Give until it hurts,” he said. “If everyone gave a little, it
would help.”
He did suggest that anyone with food left over from Christmas or Hanukkah parties
should call him and he will take it. The number is 561-620-6203.