Grasonvilef: Feed-A-Family was a great success due to the many volunteers who gave of their time, talent and treasure to help their less fortunate neighbors with a Thanksgiving Day feast, according to organizer Bobbie Bell.
“We had beautiful weather for a joy-filled week of hard work. Many thanks to our faithful donors who supported us with items such as boxes from Victory Packaging, tables from Ebb Tide Party and Tent Rentals, produce from Lowery’s Fresh Produce and Farmer John’s,” Bell said. “We could not give turkeys without the generosity of RJH Air and Refrigeration and Jeff Johnson for freezer trucks or bread without the help of Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department’s Women’s Auxiliary and Wye of Carmichael Church.”
The Narrows Restaurant also supplied a few hot meals for a Thanksgiving Day delivery, she added.
The success of the program was community effort, Bell said.
The Knights of Columbus of St. Christopher’s Church hauled tables, produce and school food drive donations to the delivery center. Many churches and several businesses from Kent Island through Centreville displayed Turkey Tags representing families requesting help with food.
Lighthouse Christian Academy, Bayside, Kent Island, Matapeake, Grasonville and Centreville elementary schools, Kent Island High School and KIHS Annex and Stevensville Middle all donated food for the program. Matepeake Middle School made a monetary donation.
The work week included more than 100 folks at Youth Night Prep. Reception of Family Boxes had dozens of people helping, and the 2016 Delivery Day sent out about 50 volunteers to 440 homes.
With the school food drive donations and abundance of family boxes, the community also helped two other Thanksgiving programs, The Back Pack Program, five local food pantries and two Christmas basket programs.
This year’s program was dedicated to St. Teresa of Calcutta, hoping to express our joy in helping others, Bell said.