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- Luis Guzmán
Neighbors in Action, a small nonprofit that provides thousands of meals and other help to residents of Cabot and Lyndonville, will receive a gift from an unusual funding source this year: the $30,000 that actor Luis Guzmán took home last week during an appearance on "Wheel of Fortune."
Guzmán, who lives in Cabot, competed on a celebrity version of the venerable game show. On the show, which aired on November 30, he said he was playing for his neighbors in the 1,400-person town.
"We suffered some really devastating flooding this past July," Guzmán said. "We have a very tight community in Cabot, and it's my honor to be here representing them."
With a budget of $175,000 that covers staff, transportation, two offices and the distribution of thousands of food boxes, Neighbors in Action is a small organization that strives to create a big impact by bringing people together, according to its executive director, Amy Hornblas.
The nonprofit offers classes in cooking, knitting, healthy eating and budgeting. It served about 7,000 meals in Cabot after the summer flooding severely damaged roads, homes and businesses.
"When the volunteers come in, this place is humming. There is cheerfulness and joking, and it really builds community," Hornblas said.
Requests for food boxes have been rising sharply over the past few years, and doubled to 8,000 in 2023, Hornblas said. The boxes contain supplies to feed a family of up to nine people for three days.
Guzmán, who was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in New York City, has appeared in movies such as Boogie Nights, Traffic and Magnolia. More recently, he starred as Gomez Addams in the hit Netflix show "Wednesday." Hornblas said Guzmán's property was damaged in the flooding, too, but he still brought food and donations to Neighbors in Action.
Hornblas said she expects fewer private donations in the coming year due to rising costs of living. Guzmán's, she said, was well timed and will help bridge the gap.
Correction, December 7, 2023: A previous version of this story misidentified the game show Guzmán appeared on.