Bea Gaddy knew what it was like to be down on her luck. Coming from a family of domestic violence, Bea went between low-paying jobs to homelessness and living on welfare. Her luck took a turn for the better in 1981 when she purchased a 50-cent lottery ticket and won $290. Instead of spending this on herself, she decided she would feed the hungry on Thanksgiving. This would become known as the “Thanks for Giving” feast and year after year, people were touched by Bea’s kindness and would follow in her footsteps.
The “Thanks for Giving” feast was first held on a sidewalk with Bea providing and cooking all of the food. With the popularity growing, more and more diners wanted to attend and local grocers and farms started to provide food. Over the forthcoming years, Bea was awarded with a number of awards including Unsung Hero Award, Afro American Woman of the Year and Baltimore City Council Award. She passed away on 3 October, 2001, due to breast cancer.