Over 525 Families in Lawrence and Haverhill Receive Thanksgiving Meals
Hundreds of volunteers today joined United Way’s 19th Annual Thanksgiving Project to distribute more than 165,000 pounds of food in over 7,000 individual Thanksgiving grocery packages. As part of the United Way effort, volunteers at Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Family Services of Merrimack Valley and the Liz Murphy Open Hand Pantry this morning distributed over 525 Thanksgiving meals to families in need in Lawrence and Haverhill.
“Our focus is on helping the most people in need,” said Michael K. Durkin, President and CEO at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. “Many families rely on these meals to help stretch their food budgets for the week. We are grateful to the generosity of our donors, volunteers and partners like Bank of America, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, UPS and Stop and Shop to provide some compassion and relief to families this holiday season.” State Representative Frank Moran joined volunteers today to give out meals.
The Thanksgiving bags from United Way included onions, potatoes, canned corn, canned green beans, cornbread mix, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, rice, and an aluminum turkey pan. Families also received either a turkey, or a grocery gift card in their bags to purchase a turkey, depending on which site they picked up their meals.
This year, the United Way has seen a significant increase in need, with over 500 more families requesting meals. The meals were distributed from 16 locations throughout Greater Boston, the South Shore, North Shore and Merrimack Valley, including new distribution locations in Roxbury, Waltham, Medford and Malden.
