Some Carroll families will have a little extra to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, as the United Way of Central Maryland and Carroll County Department of Social Services handed out supplies for 100 Thanksgiving dinners to families throughout the county.
Each family that came by St. John's Catholic Church in Westminster Friday was given a bag full of sweet potatoes, apples, cinnamon and poultry seasoning along with a box of stuffing, mashed potatoes, cans of corn and cranberry sauce. Each meal was then capped-off with a full 14-pound turkey.
Ann Thomas of the Department of Social Services of Carroll County said each selection of food should provide enough to feed a family of six for the oversized holiday dinner.
"It's the spirit of giving and making sure everyone is taken care of in time for the holidays," Thomas said. "You know, it's Thanksgiving, and it's the time you all come around the table and are thankful for what you get or what you have. This event just adds up to all of us here being thankful. It's really special to be a part of that."
Thomas said they intentionally pack enough food in each set to hopefully provide leftovers for several days after the holiday.
Jenifer Shower, case manager with the DSS, said many Carroll families who can afford their own Thanksgiving meals don't realize how lucky they are during the holiday season.
"There are some people out there who do not get a nice Thanksgiving meal," Shower said. "We do have homeless here in Carroll County. Not a lot of people think we do, but we do. This might be the only meal they get that day."
Thomas said the families are chosen from clients of the Department of Social Services or the Catholic Charities Head Start program. The DSS has teamed with the United Way for the past five years, though the United Way of Central Maryland has hosted the Harvest of Plenty program throughout the state for 22 years now.
This is the first year they've distributed from inside the Portico of St. John's, as Thomas said most years they've been forced to distribute in the cold outdoors. Volunteers from the United Way were on hand to help hand out food and carry boxes, bags and 1,400 pounds of turkeys to the Carroll residents.
Westminster resident Kendra Robertson, who picked up food for the holiday, said she was looking forward to Thanksgiving with her family, and cooking her new turkey for the family dinner.
"It feels good that there are still people here who are willing to help," Robertson said. "It's nice to be a part of this."
Reach staff writer Jacob deNobel at 410-857-7890 or jacob.denobel@carrollcountytimes.com.
