While the holidays may seem far away, the Greece Ecumenical Food Shelf & Clothing Closet (GEFS&CC) has plans underway to share Thanksgiving joy with community members who need a helping hand. Last year the pandemic required changes in the long-standing program to reduce risks of close contact for donors and recipients. Rather than asking community members to provide baskets of ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner, donors were asked to provide a monetary contribution. The Food Shelf used those funds to purchase grocery shopping cards that were then distributed to households-in-need, based on family size, which allowed recipients to choose their own holiday foods. Recipients were delighted! They got to involve their children in holiday planning and were able to select favorite foods based on their holiday traditions. Based on last year’s success, the Food Shelf is again planning to provide grocery cards for our neighbors-in-need and expects to serve at least 300 households, up from last year’s 281 households.
To provide this service, the Food Shelf needs community support. Community members and organizations are invited to participate in the program by donating to the Thanksgiving Basket program. Checks should be mailed to Thanksgiving Program, Greece Ecumenical Food Shelf, 500 Maiden Lane, 14616. For more information, please call 585-397-0604. GEFS&CC is a tax-exempt charitable organization.
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