The late Rosa Wims was never one to turn down hosting duties for Thanksgiving.
For more than 30 years, Wims hosted a Thanksgiving meal that fed hundreds in the Corn Hill neighborhood. It was an annual Rochester tradition until her passing in 2023 at the age of 100. Wims was widely known as a longtime public health advocate, and the first Black nurse’s aide at Rochester General Hospital. She founded the Faith Community Health Awareness Center on Genesee Street, which later was renamed the Rosa Wims Family Wellness Center in her honor.
During her later stages in life, food preparations were handled by Foodlink, where Wims once served as a former staff and board member. After Wims passed away in September of 2023, Foodlink vowed to work with her family to continue the tradition in her memory. On Wednesday, Nov. 20, Foodlink partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester on Genesee Street to relaunch the event for hundreds of local neighbors.
PHOTOS: Check out more photos on our Facebook page
More than 300 people enjoyed all the Thanksgiving fixings provided by the Foodlink Community Kitchen. Foodlink staff and board members helped serve the meal, along with members of Wims family, and representatives from Visions Federal Credit Union, which helped sponsor the event.
The last full event — the 34th annual meal — Rosa attended was in 2019, before COVID cancelled or altered the gatherings for the next three years. In 2023, a few months after her passing, Foodlink invited Rosa’s family to partake in its Gratitude Meal at the Foodlink Community Cafe.
This year, the event resembled the “old days” of a large, shared meal. Although Rosa was not present to greet everyone with a smile at the door as they walked in, her spirit and memory lived on.
