The Second Harvest Community Food Bank is preparing to distribute more than 1,500 Thanksgiving meals boxes in Buchanan and Andrew Counties and another 300 turkeys to partner agencies in Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas.
Second Harvest will hold its annual Thanksgiving meal distribution Monday, Nov. 24 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at its location in St. Joseph at 915 Douglas Street.
Each St. Joseph member with a valid yellow card and a voucher for the Thanksgiving meal will receive a 10- to 12-pound turkey, as well as a box of food to complete the Thanksgiving meal. In order to give members time to update or renew their yellow cards, Second Harvest is notifying them with the details of the distribution throughout the months of October and November. Vouchers for the Thanksgiving meal are available at Fresh Start beginning November 3, 2014.
“Our Thanksgiving meal distribution provides a great opportunity for individuals, businesses and other groups to contribute to the fight against hunger by giving food, monetary donations or by volunteering to help,” says Chad Higdon, Second Harvest Community Food Bank executive director. “We appreciate Grace Evangelical Church, Apple Market and Heartland/Mosaic Life Care their support. It’s an event the whole community can look forward to as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.”
The Food Bank is asking for community support this holiday season in several different ways.:
Donate specific food items for the meal boxes. Donations of green beans, Jello, yams, stuffing, cranberries, chicken broth, pumpkin pie mix and cream of mushroom soup are needed. All donations should be non-perishable.
Volunteers are needed for a food drive on Saturday, November 8 from noon to 4 p.m. at the local Apple Market stores.
Help sponsor a box for $10. In addition to donations of boxed and canned goods, Second Harvest is also encouraging community residents to assist in the Thanksgiving Meal distribution effort by providing financial donations. Just $10 will sponsor a Thanksgiving box for a food insecure family in the St. Joseph area.
Gather to help distribute packed meal boxes. On November 24th, volunteers are needed for distributing boxes. In order to create an orderly and streamlined process, Second Harvest sets up a drive-up assembly line so that members can receive their boxes in an efficient process.
For more information about Thanksgiving Meal Distribution Day, please visit Second Harvest at http://www.ourcommunityfoodbank.org or by calling 816-364-FOOD (3663).