Written By Charlie Breitrose, Staff Writer for the Framinham Tab
Date: November 19, 2004
Being brought up in foster homes for most of his life and battling alcohol addiction, David Pranskus said he has found a place where he can feel comfortable after working with the counselors at Programs For people.
The non-profit day treatment program, which serves low-income adults recovering from mental illness and substance abuse problems, tries to build a sense of community with its clients, said Iris Carroll, director of Programs For People.
“A lot of (clients) are not very involved with family,” Carroll said. “They may be living away from family, and we create a very family-like atmosphere.”
One thing the program does to create a family feel, Carroll said, is putting on events for holidays, such as Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Pranskus has cooked in kitchens around the area since he was 16, including a major Boston hotel. He will use his experience on November 25th when Programs For People hosts its annual Thanksgiving dinner.
“I know Thanksgiving will be wonderful,” Pranskus said. “I will try to pitch in.”
The dinner will be prepared in the Lunch Box, where the program runs its meal program...with the help of Jennifer Cawthorne, an occupational therapist for the program.
Programs For People will put on the dinner thanks to the generosity of local stores and businesses, Carroll said.
“I have to say how wonderful the MetroWest community has been,” Carroll said.
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This year, Carroll said, the meal (Thanksgiving) will be prepared with donations from Stop & Shop, Trader Joe’s, Shaw’s Supermarket, Whole Foods, BJ’s and other businesses. In addition, the Lunch Box kitchen got a facelift with the help of Tile Plus, Carroll said.
The program puts on dinners and celebrations at various times during the year, Carroll said. Last week, the program held a Halloween party, where Pranskus helped out.
“I was very involved with Halloween,” he said. “I had a hand in preparing the food. It made me feel like I was part of something that I could be proud of.”
Helping cook for his new friends is the least he could do, Pranskus said, after the help he received from the program.
“Ending up here is the best thing that happened in my life,” Pranskus said. “I never wanted any help, but I look forward to coming here everyday.”
Having been in other programs, Pranskus said he sees how different Programs For People is over the four months he has attended the program.
“To me, people here are so down to earth,” he said. “The staff is wonderful, I don’t see any person here who wouldn’t help me.”
Pranskus said he is turning his life around, thanks in part to the program. He is engaged to be married, and hopes to get back into cooking professionally.
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