An Illinois couple cancels wedding plans due to the pandemic and donated their catering deposit to feed those in need this Thanksgiving.
One of the most memorable milestones of life is a wedding day. However, like many other milestones and celebrations this year, they have unfortunately been postponed or canceled.
Sadly, the current global pandemic has forced many of us to forgo our initial plans and wait for what happens next. Nevertheless, this did not crush the spirits of a few people who saw this as an opportunity to do a good deed.
Canceled Wedding
According to CBS News, Emily Bugg, 33, and Billy Lewis, 34, did just that! This Illinois couple decided to cancel their initial wedding plans due to the pandemic and looked for a way to help people in need instead.
On related reports from Times Now, the couple used the $5,000 non-refundable deposit for their wedding catering and purchased 200 Thanksgiving dinners for those in need.
The Thanksgiving meals were given to clients of Thresholds, which is a nonprofit mental health provider that assists people with serious mental illnesses and substance use conditions.
Emily, an outreach worker at Thresholds, said that canceling a big wedding is not the worst thing that could happen. She added that they are happy to be married and happy that we could help Thresholds' clients.
Initially, the couple had planned a grand wedding reception with around 150 people on the guest list. As it turns out, the restrictions implemented because of the COVID-19 pandemic ended their elaborate plans. As a result, they have decided to tie the knot on Oct. 1 at Chicago's city hall.
Thanksgiving Feast For The Needy
Upon the disruption of their wedding plans, they decided to pursue and team up with the caterer, Big Delicious Planet.
Together with their caterer, they prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for Threshold clients, including turkey, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. Emily revealed that the Thresholds' clients look forward to the annual Thanksgiving celebration.
Meanwhile, Mark Ishaug, Threshold's CEO, is delighted with Emily's efforts in turning a sad situation into something magical and beautiful. Additionally, Salvage One, which is the couple's wedding venue, also agreed to repurpose their deposit for a future event to benefit the Epilepsy Foundation.
Other Do-Gooders On Thanksgiving
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, it was not only Emily and Billy that made an effort to help others celebrate this joyous occasion.
According to Turn to 10, Sucely Murillo and Eduard Acevedo-Sanchez prepare home-cooked meals for the homeless on Thanksgiving every year. The couple revealed that they are doing this because they have been in the same position as those who are in need before.
Meanwhile, in Seattle, OSL Seattle partnered with Uplift Northwest to prepare hundreds of meals that will be passed out on Thanksgiving day to help those in need.
OSL is reported to do this every year, but they made changes to the set up to keep everybody safe for this year. Instead of the usual hot buffet-style meal and space to eat, they prepared boxed dinners to be distributed on Thanksgiving.
