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Community Corner

Meet Madison Community Services Volunteers Margaret and Vinny Diglio

Margaret and Vinny Diglio, as coordinators of the holiday food basket program, made sure 40 local families and 60 senior citizens received food to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner.

Accomplishments:   Margaret and Vinny Diglio devote countless hours volunteering for Madison Community Services, making sure food is always available to those who need it.  The couple works Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the food pantry and, for the last six years, has coordinated the distribution of the holiday food baskets – making sure Madison families and seniors celebrate Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas with a healthy meal.

Key to Awesomeness:   Since moving to Madison 11 years ago Margaret and Vinny Diglio have volunteered at Madison Community Services.  The couple began by delivering Meals on Wheels and transporting people to medical appointments.  As their commitment to the organization grew so did their responsibilities. 

It was when they retired, Margaret as a school principal and Vinny as a high school teacher,  that they found more time to volunteer.  “When we retired we said we were lucky, now it’s our time to give back.”

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Six years ago they became coordinators of the holiday food baskets.  This week they were responsible for making sure 40 local families and 60 senior citizens received food to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner.

Standing alongside a freezer stocked with frozen Thanksgiving turkeys, volunteers streaming in to pack individual, Thanksgiving meals, the Diglios talked about how their volunteering has had such a positive effect on them.

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“We get much more out of it than the food we dispense,” said Margaret.  “We’re so blessed. It’s really just the pleasure that we’re helping somebody who needs it.”

Their dedication does not go unnoticed by the people they serve and they are buoyed by “the gratitude and the thanks from the people we deliver to,” said Margaret.

Seeing children, along with their parents, fill bags with stuffing, vegetables, potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and butter for the holiday food baskets warms Margaret’s heart.  While children used to be discouraged from participating, Margaret sees this as an important lesson for the younger volunteers, especially those that go along for deliveries.  

“There’s no better gift than when they go to deliver to seniors and they see the face of a little child…wishing them Happy Christmas or Thanksgiving,” said Margaret.

When all the food has all been delivered, and it’s time to celebrate the holiday with their family, Margaret and Vinny have time to reflect on all their hard work.

“We feel very blessed, obviously, sitting at the table with our family.  Just that we can help other people, it’s just, it’s indescribable, really,” said Vinny.  “It’s just that warm, kind of fuzzy, feeling. “

 Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Madison Community Services at 203-245-3031.

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