Supermarket Chain Teams With Community To Deliver Thanksgiving Dinner To Families In Need
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A supermaket chain has teamed up with local organizations and community members to help families in need celebrate Thanksgiving.
Delores Mitchell, also known as Ms. Cookie, is one of 12,000 Philadelphia residents who will now be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner thanks to a program that makes sure the disadvantaged get a ready-to-cook meal, with all the fixings.
"It makes me feel darn good," Mitchell said. "I mean, I can't even tell you."
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Sandy Brown with ShopRite and Brown's Super Stores says the 2,000 meals they are helping to distribute come with a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pie and more. The meals are being delivered to Philadelphians of all backgrounds who otherwise might not have a Thanksgiving dinner.
"This is very near and dear to our hearts," Brown said. "We see, especially this year, there are more people who are struggling and hungry across our city, and Thanksgiving is a holiday that so many of us take for granted that a lot of people would not enjoy if we didn't do this program."
Ms. Cookie says it's a blessing that others care enough about to make sure that she has a meal on the table for Thanksgiving.
"I pray for them," she said. "It's so good to see people acting like this."
Getting these dinners into home is a collaborative effort between ShopRite, the Urban Affairs Coalition and a number of other companies and volunteers who drop the meals off to families who need them.
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Shirley Randleman says for the last 35 years she's helped deliver turkey dinners to neighbors in need.
"We're so happy to be able to do this and continue to serve our neighborhoods," she said, "and especially those who often times are overlooked and many times fall through the cracks."
Randleman says during the holiday, to her, helping others is more important than sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner.
"I just hope that at this Thanksgiving, across this country, that everyone will take just a moment to think about those who are less fortunate," she said, "and what we individually can do to make this a better place for all of us."