As many Wellington residents are planning their Thanksgiving feasts, there are many in Wellington — more than you might expect — who will only be able to celebrate the bountiful holiday through the generosity of strangers.
That is why the Village of Wellington is once again running its Hometown Holiday Food Drive.
Senior Services Specialist Meridith Tuckwood said that last year, more than 130 families were helped by the food drive. This year, approximately 150 families are expected to sign up for holiday assistance.
“Every year, there are people in need,” she said. “While the perception is that Wellington doesn’t have a need, the reality is, we do.”
Wellington’s InterFaith Group, along with the Goddard School, Ultima Fitness, Tom and Regis Wenham, the Mall at Wellington Green, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the Village of Wellington are collecting donations from now through Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Gregg Harr, who works with other food projects year-round, took the lead on the Hometown Holiday Food Drive last year, and continues this year.
“The numbers in Palm Beach County are staggering,” he said. “In Palm Beach County alone, the latest numbers say that there’s about 215,000 people who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, and that includes 30,000 children, and that’s about 16.5 percent of the population.”
Seniors need help, as well as families. The Hometown Holiday Food Drive focuses on those in need here in Wellington.
“Right now, we are praying that we have enough donations,” Harr said. “There are a lot of food donations going on. Last year, we fed 130 families, which totals about 600 people. We’re hoping to get enough food donations and monetary contributions to at least do that.”
Contributions are the difficult part, he said. They’re already set with volunteers. “Our concentration right now is collecting those food items. It’s key for us to make sure we have enough to give everybody,” he said.
Harr suggested taking advantage of buy-one-get-one deals at local markets and picking up extra items during shopping trips. He and his wife priced the items at Aldi, and discovered that a family of four can be fed for approximately $12.
“We’re hoping the folks in Wellington who are fortunate enough to have, will consider helping those who do not have,” Harr said.
Churches within the InterFaith Group are each asked to donate 10 meals for families of four.
“There’s no better feeling than to know that you have contributed to help somebody put a meal on the table for Thanksgiving,” Harr said.
Those in need are asked to call and request to be put on the list — recipients must register. More and more people are becoming involved as awareness increases, and the number of those in need is growing.
Wellington residents, or those who attend one of the participating churches, just need to call to be added to the distribution list.
Approximately 70 percent of those in need will call in the last two weeks, Harr said. Donations can be brought in as late as Friday, Nov. 20.
“Until you see the food come in, the week before it starts, you just don’t know what you’re going to have,” he said. “It is a little bit nerve-racking to see if you’re going to have enough of this or enough of that.”
Once the donation drive is through, then they have to hope that there are enough monetary donations to purchase food items that they don’t have enough of.
Organizers are asking for food donations of instant mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables (green beans, peas, corn and sweet potatoes), packaged stuffing mix, turkey gravy and corn bread muffin mix. The items can be dropped off at Wellington’s Community Services Office, the PBSO’s District 8 Substation, the Wellington Municipal Complex, Wellington’s Parks & Recreation Office at Village Park, Ultima Fitness in the Wellington Plaza and the Lake Wellington Professional Centre.
First and foremost, Harr said, they are collecting Thanksgiving foods. However, all donated food will be distributed. The food drive is also directly tied to Wellington’s Hometown Holiday Toy Drive, which will begin shortly.
“There’s no a better gift than helping someone else,” Tuckwood said. “Now’s the time that we need to come together and help those in need in our community.”
Donating to those in need, she said, is the gift that keeps on giving. “You never know what that impact can be — it can change somebody’s life,” she said.
To be added to the recipient list, contact Harr at (561) 307-2900 or Dee Aubrey at (561) 793-1007 before Nov. 18. For more info., call Tuckwood at (561) 753-2476 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov.
