Dec. 19, 2007 — Thanks to a donation of mutton, several St. Thomas charitable organizations will have more meat on hand to feed their clients.
"We'd like to make it a tradition during the holiday season," said Agriculture Commissioner Louis E. Petersen Jr. There have been occasional meat distributions in the past, he said.
St. John resident Elvis Marsh donated 10 sheep for the Agriculture department's distribution. Marsh could not be reached for comment.
The donations went to the Salvation Army, Bethlehem House for the Homeless, the Queen Louise Home for the Aged, the Lucinda Millin Home and Sea View Nursing and Rehabilitation facility.
The donation for Bethlehem House is appreciated because it supplements the shelter's budget, said Michael Akin, director of Catholic Charities. The shelter provides two meals a day and feeds soup-kitchen clients on weekends. Bethlehem House received about three-quarters of a sheep.
"We had it butchered," Akin said.
The sheep will go to make soup and stew using the cook's special recipes, said Bethlehem Shelter Manager Richard Gomez.
Petersen said he's trying to locate sheep on St. Croix so charitable organizations on that island can also benefit.
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