During the last days of Don Ciancio’s life, his close-knit family huddled in a hospital waiting room, steeling themselves for the inevitable.
It was during those moments that Don Jr. made a proposal – an idea that immediately rallied family members who knew their beloved patriarch was slipping away.
“Why not feed the homeless on Thanksgiving Day?” Don Jr. suggested.
Don Ciancio Sr., or “Mr. C” to his friends, had always wanted to throw a feast for the needy at his Thornton restaurant, but he was always thwarted by his busy schedule, which included Adams County school-board commitments.
Following Don Sr.’s death in September, the family almost gave up on its plans to feed the homeless – it was just too much to juggle.
But on Thursday, Don Ciancio’s family – five children, three in-laws and eight grandchildren, plus his widow, Diane – pulled it together and honored him by feeding more than 300 at Don Jr.’s restaurant in Westminster.
“If he were here, he’d be walking around with his hands shoved back in his back pockets, telling people what to do,” said Donna Charbonnier, Ciancio’s daughter and co-owner of the restaurant at the Hyland Hills Golf Course.
Instead, that job fell to Don Jr., who served more than 220 pounds of turkey, 420 slices of pie and 28 gallons of ice cream, which included a peppermint- candy flavor.
“I tell people I don’t mind cooking for 400 people. I’m used to that,” he said. “Cleaning up after 400 people – that’s a different story.”
All of the day’s work benefited families served by the Have A Heart Project, a Westminster nonprofit organization that serves needy children and their families.
Debbie Smith, who runs the charity, said people sometimes forget that poverty is rampant among Denver’s bedroom communities.
“People don’t think that there are families living in cars in Westminster, but there are,” she said.
Another first-time feed
In Aurora, another first-time Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless took place at Smokey Jackson’s BBQ restaurant off Alameda Avenue.
Unlike the Ciancios, who had been planning their feast for months, the idea to feed the homeless came to restaurant owner Ernie Colter only about two weeks ago.
Still, Colter and his team of volunteers were able to pull together quite a Thanksgiving dinner Thursday. Among the goodies were two kinds of turkey – smoked and deep-fried – stuffing, green beans, rolls and several kinds of pie. Within 30 minutes of opening the buffet line, the Smokey Jackson’s crew had fed about 100 people.
“I had always wanted to do something for the homeless, and the restaurant let us to do that,” said Colter, who opened Smokey Jackson’s with his business partners about a year ago.
To get the word out, Colter worked with local ministers, including Dwayne Johnson of Mean Street Ministry, who works with families living in motels on Colfax Avenue.
“There is such a need out there,” Johnson said. “Every week, I see families who are struggling out there.”
Johnson invited Samantha Smith and her 3-year-old son, Keyshawn, to the dinner at Smokey Jackson’s. The Smiths are living at the Dunes Motel on Colfax.
“This is absolutely wonderful,” Smith said, pausing shortly to tell Keyshawn to eat his dinner. “The people who open up their hearts to us – it’s just amazing.”
All around the Denver area, volunteers fed the needy. Among those dishing out all the Thanksgiving staples were the Salvation Army, Volunteers of America, Urban Peak and Rosa Linda’s Mexican Cafe.
“I did not have much, but I had more than most,” said Rosa Linda Aguirre, describing the cafe’s early days of feeding the homeless. “If all I could offer the needy in my community was some rice, beans and chile, I was determined to do that.”
Back at the Hyland Hills restaurant, the family dispatched a couple of teenagers with signs scrawled “Ciancio’s” to stand near Sheridan Boulevard to help direct hungry families toward the feast.
Inside, volunteers stood ready with ladles. And near the bar, one of Don Sr.’s sweaters was draped over his favorite chair.
And Donna, Don Jr. and the rest of the Ciancio clan were making plans for next year.
“More publicity, more signs … we’ll do all that,” Don Jr. said. “But I see no reason why we can’t feed 1,000 people.”
Donna says she’s impressed by her brother’s ambition.
“He’s just like my dad,” she said.
Staff writer Kim McGuire can be reached at 303-954-1240 or kmcguire@denverpost.com.
