Turning Point Day Resource Center celebrated 20 years of service with a taste of its towns on Monday, Sept. 18. 

Attendees not only got their favorite meals from various South Coast restaurants, but also heard the musical stylings of Frank Noonan along with accompanying musicians and entered to win a number of raffles for prizes.  

The event was sponsored by the Wareham-New Bedford Elks Lodge #73.

Wareham Area Committee for the Homeless Chair Chuck McCullough said the event was the first of its kind for the center.

McCullough said the organization is recommitting itself to the goal of spreading awareness of its mission, especially in regard to the communities it serves. 

Turning Point aims to provide resources and support to families and individuals facing housing insecurity.

“A lot of people associate us with Wareham only when we're an organization that serves in Middleborough, Carver, Mattapoisett, Marion, Rochester and Buzzards Bay,” McCullough said. “So by hosting events such as this, we are able to educate folks.”

McCullough said he also wanted to highlight the local food service industry and celebrate all that these businesses do for the community and for the organization.

Hanh Nguyen, manager of Krua Thai, which has locations in Wareham and Buzzards Bay, and the owner Chankait Suksanit served Thai fried rice with eggs and mixed vegetables along with chicken satay, which had a peanut sauce option.

Nguyen said the combination of the two is the most popular among the three restaurants. 

The two also served Thai iced tea to go along with the food. 

Attendees Donna Sparrow and her uncle John Smolinsky enjoyed buffalo mac and cheese from The Gateway in Wareham along with clam chowder from Onset’s Quahog Republic. 

“It was wonderful,” Sparrow said of the event. Sparrow has worked with some Turning Point employees over the years in her role at a Community Health Center.

She added she would have loved to see even more restaurants participate.

Michelle Dunfee said she was attending the event as a guest, but began to help out when she got there. 

Dunfee worked with Turning Point over the years, including at Baby Point when it was held at Emmanuel Church. 

“I'm very pleased with where it's taken off and where it's going,” she said of the organization. 

She said she appreciates the organization hosting a new event this year. 

“It's a good event that people can come together and pull together for the community,” she added.

Kim Genson, a bartender at the Elks Lodge lounge, said, “It's been incredible — great turnout, food's amazing and it's been talked about all over town for quite a while, so I'm glad most of them showed up.”

Genson said she is a “big fan” of all the work Turning Point had done over the years. 

“Just seeing all the smiling and happy faces and all the families that have helped us throughout the years is incredible,” she added.

Jessi Merrick along with her husband, Matt, and two daughters, Kemper, 8, and Lincoln, 7, had an array of food at their table, but we're most excited for ice cream from Mattapoisett’s Oxford Creamery and cookies from Shipyard Gallery. 

Kemper said, “It’s so good!” 

In regard to the event, Jessi said, “I think it's excellent, and I'm glad that there's so many people turning out for it.”

A volunteer for the organization, she added, “They're doing really good work in the community.”

Garrett Douglas, a Turning Point board member, helped serve pasta Bolognese from Ella’s in Wareham.

Reflecting on the organization’s mission, Douglas said, “This problem is a problem that's been here longer than 20 years and it's going to be here longer than the next 20, but it's great that there are great people that are trying to do what they can to help.”

Janice Gordon and Denise Hixon, summer residents of Wareham, said they had not heard of Turning Point before, but the event “exceeded expectations.”

“We will go back to our Onset village and tell all our friends what they missed,” Gordon said.