Although the weather was damp and cold, at least 700 families lined the entry leading to the St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church parking lot Saturday morning to receive a Thanksgiving basket from Good Samaritan Center of Loudon County volunteers.
Volunteers handed out bags with items such as rolls, cranberry sauce, cornbread, mashed potatoes, cake mix, frosting and green beans as vehicles slowly made their way around the parking lot.
Turkeys were not distributed on site this year, instead requiring families to stop by Walmart to pick up their choice of meat, or fresh produce if vegetarian.
Susan Fox, Good Samaritan Center board member, said the new process was a way to help make it simpler for Good Sam and other organizations who hold similar holiday distributions.
“Walmart corporate decided that they could issue a gift card that could be used for either a turkey, a ham or fresh produce in case they’re a vegetarian and they don’t want a turkey or ham, and there’s no expiration date on it,” Eddy Shubert, Good Samaritan Center pantry manager, said. “That way they won’t have to handle the turkeys so many times.
“Last year we had to handle each turkey eight times. This year they come into Walmart, they stay at Walmart,” he added. “We give them the gift card, they go to Walmart and they go to the line. If they got a turkey, a ham or fresh produce, and they present that card, the amount will come off that card.”
Shubert said the local nonprofit organization was prepared to provide 725 turkeys, hams or fresh produce to needy families, which is roughly the same offered last year when distribution was held at the Catholic church for the first time.
“We had 725 last year and it was the first time we had distributed it from this location, so we thought it was down last year maybe because people didn’t know how to get here,” Shubert said. “So, we went with the same amount this year just to be sure and it’s going to be up from last year.”
Food ordered for Saturday amounted to 18,718 pounds, Shubert said.
“I think there’s a tremendous need for it,” he said. “I mean it’s slowly going down each year, and hopefully that’s because the economy is improving, but there’s still a great need. ... In an idealistic world we’ll be working ourselves out of a job.”
Good Sam board members Jane Whitaker, Buddy Hathcock and Fox helped distribute bags to passing vehicles. Saturday was Whitaker’s first time helping out and she was eager to get involved. For Fox, Saturday was her last time helping with the basket distribution.
“I’m rolling off the board this year as immediate past chair and it was an opportunity that I saw to be actively again involved with the project that I helped with for well over 10 years, and just felt that it was a good way to kick off my holiday season,” Fox said.
Volunteers handed out bags of food 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits provided breakfast for volunteers.
“It ensures the family a meal that they can get together and sit down and there is a meal, and that’s the essence of Thanksgiving really is togetherness,” Hathcock said.
