Free Thanksgiving meals offered at Good Shepherd Center
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — As the holidays approach, many people are already planning their Thanksgiving meals, but some are concerned about how they’ll afford everything they need to buy.
On Wednesday, Good Shepherd Center hosted a drive-thru and walk-up grocery giveaway to provide extra help to those in need.
The giveaway offered non-perishable items for a Thanksgiving meal, along with a free, redeemable turkey voucher.
This Thanksgiving effort has been a collaboration between the Good Shepherd Center and sponsor Innovation Financial Group for three years.
Brianha Powers, an employee at Innovation, explains how the need has grown over time: “We have seen an increase in numbers. Last year, we provided 1,000 meals, and this year, we’re doing 1,300 meals and 1,500 turkey vouchers.”
She adds, “We see the need when we volunteer here throughout the year, especially around the holidays. We know there’s demand, and we want to help our community.”
Katelyn Mattox, Director of Homeless Services at Good Shepherd, points out that food insecurity isn’t the only issue they’re tackling.
“We do know that the need for emergency shelter continues to rise in our community, and the need for affordable housing continues to rise. These issues are typically tied to food insecurity.”
Mattox also explains how high housing costs impact families’ budgets: “When a person is paying too much toward their housing costs and they are housing cost-burdened, it makes other aspects of their family budget even more challenging.”
She emphasizes that events like the grocery giveaway help alleviate some of the financial burdens families face: “If a little extra assistance at the dinner table means rent or mortgage gets paid, we’re happy to help make that happen.”
In addition to the grocery giveaway, Good Shepherd Center operates a soup kitchen, open Monday through Friday from noon to 1 p.m., for those looking to continue cutting costs.
