Thanksgiving baskets provided for local families in need

r By Alison NormanrIt was a very happy Thanksgiving for some very deserving families in our community.  Thanks to Tabitha’s Way and some local business partners, more than 320 turkey baskets were handed out at the Veterans Memorial Building in Spanish Fork on Saturday, Nov. 19.  The American Fork Tabitha’s Way also handed out turkey baskets. This will feed more than 1,280 people a Thanksgiving dinner who may not have had one.

Vouchers for turkey baskets were handed out through Nebo, Provo and Alpine school districts, WIC, Mountainland Headstart, DCFS and Promise. They were given to families in need. In order to get a turkey basket, individuals had to provide a voucher and a picture ID.

Volunteers starting arriving as early as 8 a.m. to help get tables set up and organized the food so it would be ready by the time families started arriving at 12:30 p.m.

Families were greeted where they showed their voucher and picture ID; they then sat in chairs until a volunteer was ready to help them collect their food. Volunteers and families then walked around the tables and put the cans of food in a bag. When everything was collected, the volunteer then helped the family out to their car, then came in and helped another family.

All baskets were 100 percent donated. Baskets included a turkey, a disposable roasting pan, cranberry sauce, yams, corn, green beans, instant potatoes, stuffing, gravy packets, rolls and a choice of pumpkin, sugar-free apple or sweet potato pie. They also included some recipes.

There were many feelings when you walked into the Veterans Memorial Building on Saturday. The volunteers were excited to greet each family. They sincerely wanted to help those families who were in need. The families that came in were grateful that someone cared enough to want to help them out for Thanksgiving.

Volunteers Bob, Cindy and their granddaughter Rilighey, age 13, said they love doing this every year and it’s amazing to see all the people.

When asked how they felt about receiving a turkey basket, Sarah, a single mother of three girls ages 13, 10 and 6, said, “Blessed, so I can have a Thanksgiving with my girls.”rTom said he was very grateful. Emmalee, age 14, was there with her single mom to get a basket; she said she loved getting this. It would help her family out since losing her father earlier this year.

In December, Tabitha’s Way will be serving a Christmas dinner for families in need. Each child under the age of 18 will receive a gift. Volunteers are needed to help with the dinner. If you would like to volunteer, email Melissa Prins at melissa@tabithasway.org.