SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A local organization is getting ready to help thousands of people again for the holiday season. They are already gearing up to help put food on Thanksgiving holiday tables for folks who need it.
Thursday afternoon, Friends of the Poor held a media conference in front of the Scranton Cultural Center where they announced plans for the 47th year they are hosting the Family-to-Family Food Basket Program. The program helps families in the area with Thanksgiving dinners.
“We anticipate about 3,500 cooked meals distributed and then another 3,500 bags of groceries for families so 3,500 individuals and 3,500 families it usually comes out to about 15,000 people,” said Friends of the Poor President and CEO Meghan Loftus.
With so many people to feed partnerships with other organizations such as CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank are important. This year, the CEO is providing about 500 turkeys.
“Friends of the Poor is one of our longest, largest partners in Lackawanna County and it means so much to us because of the increased need that all of the partners including them are seeing to be able to get this food right back into the community and helping them with that,” said CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank executive director Jennifer Warabak.
Something that Friends of the Poor is doing this year that they did not do much last year is food deliveries.
“We’re doing a lot more delivery than we have in the years past with the meal. Usually, we would deliver like a thousand meals but were delivering about 2,000,” said Loftus.
This year they will once again do a drive-through food distribution, and in each bag will be a handmade Thanksgiving card from elementary students in the area.
Friends of the Poor are always looking for donations and volunteers, so anyone interested in helping can go online for more information.
