Thanksgiving Food Drive for FISH
by Katrina Landon
This is a real-time emergency!
When I was a teen, my mother lost her job. One vivid memory from those challenging times will always stay with me. We had a friend who went bluefish fishing every week, and every week he would bring us a fish. We ate blue fish in every conceivable way: baked, fried, casseroled….and to this day I cannot eat blue fish as it brings back too many painful memories of wondering where our next meal would come from. Friends helped us the best they could, but finally my mother had to swallow her pride and apply for food stamps. In those days, Williamsburg did not have food banks. Thank the universe our community now has such help in the form of FISH, House of Mercy, and Grove Outreach.
This past Sunday we started a Thanksgiving “trimmings” drive to help FISH. They have started handing out turkey breasts and whole chickens so that food-insecure community members can enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. They usually serve about 30 families a week, but this past week, they served 50 families, and with the shutdown, the lines are growing. We can help them by bringing in such items as instant potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, canned yams, corn, green beans, applesauce, cereal, pancake mix, syrup, a box of cake mix, icing, or some other dessert. On one of my recent drop-offs, one of the volunteers told me that a grandmother asked if they had cake mix, and tears came to her eyes when the volunteer gave her the mix and a can of icing. As she told the volunteer, “Today is my granddaughter's birthday, and now she will have a cake.” I hear stories like that every time I go by there, and it really chokes me up.
The special Thanksgiving boxes will sit outside the Sanctuary on Sunday mornings through Nov. 23rd. Please remember to bring these items in and place them in the box. Also, we still need items for the red wagon as well. I have posted a list of regular needs above the red wagon, which will also be moved to a more prominent location in the Gathering Space. We donated at least 45 bags of food in October to FISH. Can we double that for November? Important note: If you clear out your pantry to bring in food, please make sure you check the expiration date on items before donating to FISH, or any food pantry.
Everyone, this is a real-time emergency! Until this government shutdown is resolved, our food banks are overwhelmed and need, and appreciate, your generosity. House of Mercy is accepting monetary donations at this website: https://williamsburghouseofmercy.org/how-you-can-help/, and Grove Outreach can also use your help: https://www.groveoutreach.com/help-us-help-others/. Let’s make it our mission to put our principles to work and help our community members in need.