Thanksgiving is a time when we express our gratitude to God for the abundance of blessings in our lives, but it’s also become a time when we share that abundance with others in our communities.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is holding its ninth annual Thanksgiving Basket Project and is need of help from the community to make this year’s event a success.
The event will be held on Saturday, November 20 at 8:30 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 4806 Bell Shoals Rd. in Valrico. Volunteers will meet to fill the baskets and then personally deliver them to families in the community who may not have the ability to provide it for themselves.
More than 100 families, selected by school social workers, will receive a reusable laundry basket filled with a frozen turkey, boxed macaroni and cheese, green beans, corn, stuffing, instant mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cake mix and frosting, butter, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie filling and pie crusts.
“Turkeys, which are the main component of a Thanksgiving meal, are in short supply this year, and we need help from our community friends and neighbors to help us meet our goal,” said Project Coordinator Michelle Caceres.
In addition to donations of foodstuff, community members are invited to participate in the project by donating their time to assemble and distribute the baskets the day of the project.
“This has been a great opportunity over the past several years to work with the FishHawk community to help those in need,” said Bishop Geoff Tingey. “As followers of Jesus Christ, we welcome anyone that would like to participate in this project with us.”
To support the project, sign up to donate food items at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c48a8a92da7fa7-thanksgiving1. Donated items can be dropped off by 8 a.m. on the morning of the project.
For more information about the project, to inquire about early donation drop-off or if you know of a family in need that would benefit from a Thanksgiving Basket, contact Caceres at 597-8150.
