A Thanksgiving Thank You!

Yes, it is truly a wonderful time of the year! While everyone is hustling and bustling with the upcoming Christmas holiday, I wanted to take time and thank our donors and supporters for making the food bank’s Thanksgiving drive-thru’s and food distributions such a tremendous success with donations of food, finances and volunteer time! Here are a few stories from the Thanksgiving food drives that our employees wanted to share with the community on “how you help to make a difference” –

1. A husband and wife dropped off one turkey. Years ago they had needed assistance from the food bank and now after recovering financially, were able to give back to the food bank and the community we serve!

2. One donor appeared in a tuxedo shirt, tie and slacks and was asked if she dressed up just to donate turkeys. Her response, after a chuckle or two, was that she was an employee of a local restaurant and that she and other employees took up a collection and bought turkeys for distribution by the food bank.

3, An employee’s daughter came to the food bank to help produce Emergency Food Boxes. Afterwards, the daughter thanked her mother for the opportunity and said “Mom, you couldn’t give me a million dollar house and make me feel the same way I did in helping out someone in need, as there is no feeling like it. Sometimes it’s not what you get in life, it is what you give”. Out of the mouth of babes!

4. A little girl and her mom came up to one of our staff during the turkey drive-thru. The little girl handed over a coloring book and crayons along with a donation of three frozen turkeys. The mom said the little girl took money out of her piggy bank to purchase the book and crayons because she knew there were children in need of not only food but toys too. The staff member shook the little girl’s hand and thanked her for her donation! The little girl walked away with a great big smile on her face and in her heart!

5. An employee from a local company year after year donates turkeys to the food bank. This past year the man got seriously ill and was very concerned about not being well enough to make his yearly turkey donation. Friends and co-workers of the man pulled their resources together and donated turkeys in their friend’s honor – 65 turkeys in all!

6. One woman, while watching the news, saw that the food bank was low on frozen turkeys. The woman at that moment took her turkey out of the freezer, hopped in her car and brought the turkey right down to the food bank. She said she would have to get another turkey soon but knew that the food bank needed her turkey right away!

7. A local realty company canvassed the neighborhoods they have done business in to let people know they were collecting food for St. Mary’s/Westside Food Bank Alliance. People put their donations by the door and the employees of this company drove around in their cars to pick up the food. These employees said they will continue the tradition in years to come as it really felt good to help others!

I could fill this BLOG all day long with such heartwarming and genuinely caring stories of how YOU, the community, help support St. Mary’s/Westside Food Bank Alliance! No matter what the donation or the amount, your donations really “do make a difference in others lives”! Thank you and Happy Holidays!