Southwest Orange PTOs to provide families with Thanksgiving food

A woman cried while thanking Parent-Teacher-Organization members for their efforts and generosity to feed Orange County Public Schools families in need.

For the past three years, she has been attending a Thanksgiving drive created by Beth Siegmann, where PTO members from Horizon West schools come together to donate pies, loaves of bread, cakes and more on the morning of Thanksgiving.

“It’s crazy to think how much a pie meant to her,” said Chris Whittington, PTSO president at Bay Lake Elementary, of the woman. “Just getting a pie was the highlight of her life that day, and she said her kids were going to be so happy. They get to have something that they wouldn’t really have, that they can’t afford. Seeing us every year for the past three years was a highlight of her day. It hits you right in the heart.”

Just like her, many families stop by the school where PTO members are distributing Thanksgiving food items to bring home the holiday spirit. 

HOW IT STARTED

Siegmann is a Nebraska farm girl and saw families struggling firsthand. 

“While my parents worked very hard to have food on the table, a lot of families struggled — especially farmers during the winter,” she said. “I’m blessed and fortunate with the life that we have now and being able to try to do whatever we can for the community.” 

In 2012, while her son attended Sunset Park Elementary, she decided to help community members during the holiday season and partnered with Publix at Lakeside Village to donate food to those in need. 

When school rezoning took place, her son was transferred to Bay Lake Elementary, where she joined the PTO and brought over her Thanksgiving efforts. 

“Wherever I went, this project followed,” she said. 

Today, 13 years later, the project has expanded to five schools: Windermere High, Horizon West Middle and Bay Lake, Castleview and Sunset Park elementary schools. Siegmann said the schools will be helping about 12 families this year. 

“The community would be shocked at how many children and families we do have in all of our local schools, from the elementary all the way up to the high school, (who) are homeless or are living in extended-stay hotels,” Siegmann said. “Whatever we can do to help, even if it’s just for one day, means a lot.” 

According to OCPS, 550 students from the West Orange County area, including Windermere, Winter Garden, Ocoee and Oakland, experienced homelessness as of the 2024-2025 school year.

“Knowing that one idea has lasted as long as it has makes such a difference,” Siegmann said. “Just one small act makes a huge difference to somebody, and that’s really what we should be doing.” 

SERVING OTHERS

Whittington has been helping Siegmann with this project for nine years. 

He continues to participate and help every year; he believes God calls people to bless everyone. 

He became emotional as he spoke about the impact they have in the community. 

“It reminds our community that no one is forgotten during the holidays,” he said. “A simple pie or even a loaf of bread can bring warmth, comfort, a sense of normalcy.” 

Aileen Junco, PTSO president at Horizon West Middle, said they have made a big difference in the community and have heard from families whose lives have been positively impacted because of their efforts.

“Every year, families are like, ‘Oh, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be having a Thanksgiving dinner this year,’ and that’s the reason I keep coming back to help out with it,” Junco said.

She has been participating in this effort for eight years. 

“We have so much, and some don’t, so it’s just rewarding to see that we can give them a nice Thanksgiving,” she said.

Siegmann, Whittington and Junco said they are grateful for Publix for continuing to help them help the community. 

Every year at 11 p.m. the night before Thanksgiving, Whittington goes to Publix and collects all items Publix is donating and puts it into the back of his SUV. Then, he separates anything that needs to be refrigerated and divides it among other board members to bring to the school the following morning. 

On Thanksgiving day, Whittington said he wakes up ready to give back, alongside his wife and children. 

“It’s a great example for my kids to understand that we should give back because there are always those that are less fortunate than us,” he said. “It’s a great teaching for my kids, it’s a learning experience. It’s something I hope that they carry on to their kids and their grandkids.” 

Siegmann said the PTO members also support the community’s elderly as well as fire and police departments as a way to thank “our unsung heroes.” 

“For me, it means the world because now my kids are getting to see that we’re not just helping struggling families, but we’re also helping first responders who have to work and may not be able to have a Thanksgiving with their families,” Whittington said. “They put their life on the line for us and we should give back.”

FUTURE ENDEAVORS

Siegmann’s son now is a sophomore at Windermere High and soon will graduate and leave OCPS. 

But that doesn’t mean schools won’t collaborate with Publix to collect and donate food items on Thanksgiving. 

“I already told my brand new board members that have never been on the PTO board and are new this year that once I’m not (at Bay Lake Elementary) and we have new board members, this tradition will carry on,” Whittington said. “Whether it’s at Horizon West, whether the pick-up is at Bay Lake, whether the pick-up is at Windermere, this tradition will carry on, because it is going to become a personal mission of mine that this legacy lives on. We are so appreciative of what Beth has started, and now we aim to make sure that this continues on.” 

Junco shares the same vision and is eager to continue this project as her child continues in OCPS. 

“I’m hoping (Siegmann) will pass the baton down and I’m hoping I can continue to work with the other schools to do it,” she said. “My hopes would be to be able to reach more and more families in need.” 

They said as long as Publix is willing to partner with them, they will continue to go out every Thanksgiving morning to provide a sense of community and holiday spirit to those in need. 

“The people who are struggling are community, too,” Whittington said. “They’re not nobodies, they’re not homeless. They’re people and community, too.” 

And while it takes an army of schools to make this happen, Siegmann said “it’s a whole big orchestra that beautifully plays together.”