“It’s a Rite of December that has always been extremely valuable and enabled families in need to enjoy a special holiday dinner,” Joseph Quartino said. Enter the Pannese Society, an award-winning Italian American social organization that recently upheld its storied tradition of donating hams – and in some cases gift cards – that helped put food on nearly 60 family tables for Christmas.

Due to strict restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, only two Pannese Society officials, Vice President David Venditilli and Warden Jason Parenteau, delivered 20 hams to the Johnston Senior Center that Executive Director Anthony Zompa distributed to people in need. In past years the organization has put together food baskets, but that had to be scaled back this year because of the coronavirus.