Osceola school serves up Thanksgiving meal for parents, students

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A Thanksgiving meal is a reminder that there are folks in need all around us, and many of them are children in school.

The number of homeless school children in Osceola County more than doubled during the recession.

As communities have seen the growing need, they've stepped up to fill the void.

Thanksgiving meals can now be seen in school cafeterias.

Realizing that many families at his school would not have the money for a Thanksgiving Meal, Thacker Elementary School principal Ben Osypian decided to see if there was something he and his staff could do to help.

"We have plenty of families that are either homeless or living in hotels," Osypian said.

"I sent out an email that this is what I'd (like) to do, and I had 30 to 40 staff members volunteer their time. Baked goods, donated turkeys and really stepped up to make this happen," Osypian said.

Thaisha Arroyo is grateful.

"My husband had an accident two years ago," she said, breaking down. (tears)"

He can no longer work, and Arroyo had to quit her job to care for him.

Thanks to Thacker Elementary School volunteers, they got to enjoy a Thanksgiving Meal together and so did a lot of other families.

Making the long hours of preparing it all worth it.

WFTV