By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — This time, it’s not a vote that the mayor’s wife is asking for, but your generosity.

Continuing an annual tradition, Joan Doyle and her longtime friend and former co-worker, Stan Lachut, are seeking donations of food or cash from local businesses and area residents to create holiday dinner baskets for those who are in need this Thanksgiving.
Last month, Herb Weiss, the city’s economic and cultural affairs officer, sent out a letter on behalf of Doyle, the wife of Mayor James E. Doyle, to local grocery stores, markets and other businesses asking for the donations.
Many have already responded, as they have in the past, with generous offers of turkeys, vegetables, bread and other fixings.
However, given the current economy, Doyle knows the need is even greater this year, and she is hoping that some new participants come through with either food items or financial help.
Last year, the goal was to create 175 baskets for needy city residents. The baskets are delivered by volunteers a few days before Thanksgiving.
This year, Doyle said she would like to see that goal increased to 200 or even 250 baskets. She knows there are more cases of financial hardship from reports that come by word of mouth and calls that come in to City Hall. “The need is just so much worse this holiday season,” she said.
Doyle said the current Thanksgiving food basket program is in its eighth year. However, she and Lachut actually began the project over 20 years ago, when both were teachers at Shea High School. While at Shea, they would hear about certain families having financial difficulties, and she, Lachut and others began collecting food.
They would drop off bags filled with groceries at students’ houses throughout the year and deliver the food baskets at Thanksgiving. “We used to do about 25 baskets, and now we’re up to 175,” she said. “It’s just mushroomed.”
Doyle is seeking commitments of either food or money to buy grocery items for the baskets. Individuals can also sponsor a food basket for $50. Anyone wishing to make a financial donation is asked to make the check payable to CDS-Joan Doyle’s Holiday Baskets, and to mail the check to the attention of Herb Weiss, Economic and Cultural Affairs Officer, 179 Main St., Pawtucket, 02860.
Weiss said that so far, the city has commitments from local enterprises including Armando & Sons Meat Market and the Make A Difference Foundation, which are providing turkeys; Stop & Shop stores, which are donating rice, gravy, stuffing and other items; Whole Foods, which is supplying potatoes; and Seven Stars Bakery, which is offering bread.
In addition, Bob Dwane of the Sav-A-Lot food stores has donated 100 gift cards worth $20 each for placement in the baskets. The gift cards can be redeemed at any Sav-A-Lot location, including the local new store on Armistice Boulevard and another on Mineral Spring Avenue.
Items still being sought include turkeys, rice, boxes of stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, black beans, apple juice, pies, and canned fruit.
There is also a collection box at City Hall where residents can drop off any canned goods or other non-perishable items from now until the week before Thanksgiving. These items will be used for the food baskets or distributed to local food pantries, Doyle said