Greenport Teen Hosts Feast for Family-less Kids on Thanksgiving

Greenport teen Jordan Bacher will hold a dinner on Thanksgiving from 1 to 4 p.m. for underprivileged children from Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York at the Bridgehampton Community House.

In years past, the large sit-down dinner had been held at in Riverhead, but the Bridgehampton Community House was the chosen location this year. The dinner will serve 100 children ranging in age from 6 months to 20 years and will be the second in the series that Jordan has hosted.

Jordan, 13, said that he worked with his mom to find vendors and contributors in the food business, and that he talked at his school, the Jewish Center of the Hamptons, and found people to be very receptive to the idea.

"We get them full on a turkey dinner," said Miche Bacher, Jordan's mother and owner of Sacred Sweets bakery in Greenport."We get vendors, friends, and family to make food donations."

Jordan said he saw that there was a group of kids that needed a dinner and "it had to be done."

"My mom is in the food industry, and she helped me get in touch with vendors and people who could help us with the dinner," he said.

The meal is served family-style and with rented china ware and tableclothes — not plastic or paper.

"We sit down as a community," Jordan said.

Last year, Santa also visited with the children, but this year Jordan has plans to have movies and games for entertainment.

"It's absolutely fantastic and the kids love it," said Monroe Hale, Director of the Residential Treatment Center at Little Flower.

Hale said that the dinner is very sophisticated and helps the children feel important on a day when many of them are unable to go to families on Thanksgiving and must remain on the campus.

Children in the Little Flower program vary in ages and may be at the residence because they are in foster care, on probation, or because of a child protective services issue.

"As an agency, we are so impressed with the support and outpourings from the community," Hale said. "This event touches so many."

For Jordan, the dinner is an opportunity to provide kids with one day of normalcy and the feeling of family. And the work to him is worth it.

"Some people are in crisis, and it doesn't take a lot to make an impact," Miche Bacher said. "This is really Jordan's project".

Jordan is always looking for people to help him with the dinners. Those who are interested can call him at the bakery at 631-477-6762 or can email him directly at JBacherls@ross.org. Those who are interested in volunteering or donating to Little Flower Children and Family Service may contact Alyson Gladel at 631-929-6200.