LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – God’s Pantry Food Bank has been helping families share Thanksgiving since 1993. Saturday, dozens of participants took part in the Lexington Basket Brigade. It’s a community driven effort to ensure every family in need can enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving meal at home.

“Imagine for a moment trying to gather around the Thanksgiving Day table and not having food in order to facilitate that conversation. That’s what this really means for some 7,000 households,” said CEO of God’s Pantry, Mike Halligan.

Halligan says each of those 7,000 households will get to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal this year. Thanks to donations to God’s Pantry, and the participants of the Lexington Basket Brigade.

“These individuals, on a Saturday morning, are here making a difference in the lives of people they will never meet, knowing that this food will help them congregate around a meal and to be able to look at the blessings of Thanksgiving,” said Halligan.

Each basket contains enough food to prepare a meal for eight people, plus leftovers. Households will also receive a $60 gift and a turkey with their basket.

“When neighbors come for the distribution and receive their meals we hear things like, ‘thank you so much there’s no way we could afford to be able to have a Thanksgiving meal,’” said Halligan.

Valerie Dutcher has participated in the basket brigade for four years. She also delivers food to seniors for God’s Pantry each month.

“Last month in particular they were saying how important it was to get the box of Thanksgiving goods because they wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving without it and so now I really have faces to the need for these Thanksgiving boxes so it means so much more this year,” said Dutcher.

All of this year’s Thanksgiving baskets are spoken for. If you’re facing food insecurity and need help, head to God Pantry’s website by clicking here.

Copyright 2023 WKYT. All rights reserved.