Our Residents

Springfield Housing Authority resident Latisa Gasque and her six children will enjoy a hearty Thanksgiving feast, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor with a tendency to kindness.

Gasque visited the Community Room at Robinson Gardens Apartments, where she and her children live, to find a bountiful trove of the fixings for a feast. At first, all she could do was gasp – and smile.

“Wow. I’m shocked,” said Gasque, who had planned a modest dinner of chicken and mashed potatoes before she was singled out for the largesse from a man she has yet to meet, but has plans for a heartfelt thank-you note.

“I’m very appreciative right now. We’ve got everything we need for a perfect Thanksgiving,” she said, adding another “Wow.”

Latisa Gasque, resident at Robinson Gardens Apartments, with her children and their Thanksgiving dinner. At right is Springfield Housing Authority Youth Engagement Coordinator Jimmie Mitchell.

The gift to the family came from a local businessman who has already made a mark at the housing authority. This summer, he bought books and school supplies to the two recipients of the SHA’s Ferris Mitchell Scholarship, given each year to two public housing or rental voucher tenants who will enter their freshman year in college.

Since then, the donor has been in touch with SHA Youth Engagement Coordinator Jimmie Mitchell, who works with young people at Robinson Gardens to keep them in school, in jobs, expanding their minds and productive. The scholarship is named after Mitchell’s late father, who with his wife brought up a family of 10 children at Riverview Apartments, another SHA property.

The donor declined to be photographed or named, simply saying, “I like to give. Every Thanksgiving, I try to do something for someone in need. This year, I asked Jimmie, and he said this family needs help.”

Piled high on the table were a 22-pound turkey, stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, rutabaga, spinach, celery, cranberry sauce, corn muffins, pies and cookies. Mitchell helped with the shopping, and predicted the family would have more than enough.

Mitchell is a retired counselor at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy who has continued to reach out to young people.

“I love helping people, it’s what I do,” Mitchell said.

As for Gasque and her children, they began to make plans for Thanksgiving.

“I’ll be up early, cooking,” said Gasque. “You’ll have to help me,” she said to her older daughters.

Her children are Nakei Quarterman, 17, Nisa Harris, 10, Nao-lin Baez, 5, Niami Baez, 4, Neevan Hill, 3, and one-year-old Naizani Hill.

Latisa Gasque and her children, with SHA Youth Engagement Coordinator Jimmie Mitchell.

Her eldest, Nakei, works with Mitchell in his afternoon youth group, and as a senior at Central High School, is gearing up for college next year.

“This is so nice,” Nakei said. “I can’t believe it.”