◆ Deadline for holiday dinner requests approaches.
With Thanksgiving only a couple of weeks away, community efforts to prepare and deliver holiday gift baskets for those in need are in full swing.
• Afton Food Pantry
“The deadline for holiday dinner requests from the Afton Food Pantry is Monday, November 16,” said Sierra Mitchell of the Afton Food Pantry. “We would love to assist any family in need to help them get a nice holiday meal. Everyone deserves to have special meals for the holidays and we know that, especially this year, it is not always possible for families to purchase the needed food to make that happen.”
“If you are aware of a family that is in need of assistance with their holiday meals this year, please email us with the family information so we can have adequate food ready for the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner boxes we put together,” Mitchell added.
• Info Needed:
• The family name, size, how many adults and how many children (under the age of 18) and if possible the children’s genders and ages (we have toys, candy, books and blankets to give out at Christmas).
• Let us know what church/ward/school/agency you are with and who will be picking up the boxes for your organization.
• If your church/ward/agency/school is making your own holiday meal boxes for families that is great, however we still ask for communication as to who is receiving to make sure they aren’t already receiving one from another avenue such as us.
“We already have over 80 patrons signed up on our list who have nominated themselves for a dinner so coordinating lists is very important to make sure duplicate meals aren’t being dropped off,” Mitchell said. “If we work together, we can get more dinners to those in need.”
• Afton Food Pantry Gift Basket Pick Up:
The Afton Food Pantry and it’s volunteers will make the meal boxes, but asks that one person from each agency/church/school pick up all the boxes for families their organization has submitted.
Pick up day for the Thanksgiving Boxes is Thursday, Nov. 19 from 3:30-5 p.m. using the front garage door at the Afton Food Pantry.
“We will not be able to deliver any boxes this year, because of the large number of boxes that are requested from us during the holidays,” said Mitchell.
• Thayne Food Bank
The Thayne Food Bank is renewing their Veteran’s Night. Veterans are invited to utilize the services the food bank offers thoughout the month. However, the third Thursday of each month is the featured Veteran’s Night at the Thayne Food Bank from 6-7 p.m.
According to Julie Buckley, Veteran’s Night is designed to allow service men and women to come together and receive the help that they may need.
In addition to Veteran’s Night, the Thayne Food Bank will be giving holiday food boxes to area veterans for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• If you know an area veteran who might benefit from the holiday gift basket program offered through the Thayne Food Bank, contact the food bank at 880-FOOD (3663).
“Thursday, November 19 and Thursday December 17 there will be holiday fixings for a complete holiday meal,” said Buckley.
According to Buckley, being aware of area veterans and providing holiday gift baskets is a small way the local community can thank veterans for their service.
For more information on the veteran’s programs available through the Thayne Food Bank, call (307) 880-3663.
