On a quiet Saturday morning the week before Thanksgiving, while masses of local residents were out scouting pre-Black Friday deals, about a dozen volunteers set up shop in Memorial Park in Beacon.

Their mission: to distribute hundreds of pounds of produce, all fresh and free of charge to those in need.

There, just behind the middle school, a line hundreds deep stretched the perimeter of the ball field, wrapping around the third base line and out of sight from behind the dugout where a neat row of folding tables showcased the morning’s bounty: frozen chicken and turkeys, plus plant-based options; eggs, greens and herbs, baked goods, fresh and frozen fruit.

“We are here for people to take what they need,” said Jamie Levato, executive director of Fareground, the Hudson Valley-based nonprofit hosting the food giveaway. “We’re here to provide a pleasant and welcoming environment where everybody feels safe and comfortable.”

Aside from the number of people in each household served, volunteers do not ask for names, addresses or any personal information, and no proof of income or eligibility is required.

The grocery items are donated by and purchased from various local farms, in part through a NourishNY grant, as well as sourced from the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, of which Fareground is a member.

What began a decade ago as a pop-up, pay-what-you-can community meal quickly evolved into regular food distributions and free markets, as well as a series of “tiny free pantries” throughout Beacon, Fishkill, Wappingers and Newburgh.

The need for regular fresh food supply in the area was laid bare during the pandemic, when thousands of local residents were laid off or out of work altogether, Levato said, “but that really just shone a light on a need that was there all along.”

Even as folks have gradually returned to work and life begins to resemble something normal, Levato said, factors such as inflation, wage stagnation, local housing shortages and skyrocketing medical costs have noticeably exacted their toll.

“We see a greater need around the holidays especially,” Levato said. “Even someone who was maybe making do with groceries from month to month needs some extra help to pull together a big family meal or two.”

The pre-Thanksgiving distribution usually draws the largest crowd of the year.

“This is the meaning of Thanksgiving,” said New York Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson, a Newburgh Democrat representing parts of Dutchess, Ulster and Orange counties. “I just think it’s great that all the communities in the area come together to help those who are in need so that they can celebrate as they should.”

For Yvonne Bateman, a longtime volunteer and Fareground board member, volunteering is her calling.

“It’s all about giving back to the community,” she said. “I grew up helping,” following in the footsteps of her parents, who were active in their community in Jamaica.

Upon moving to the Hudson Valley in the late ‘90s, Bateman started with a food distribution and delivery practice of her own before being recruited by Fareground.

“I love the people – I get a chance to talk to them, see their faces,” she said. “If they need something we don’t have here, I can sometimes make arrangements to drop it off for them. It brings me a lot of joy.”

The next Fareground food distribution is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 22 at Memorial Park in Beacon. Fareground efforts are supported in part by donations from the Holiday Helping Hand campaign in partnership with the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region.