Ravens fan club gives free Thanksgiving groceries to Baltimore families
BALTIMORE -- Ravens fans gave back to the Baltimore community by packing up and delivering hundreds of meals to deserving families on Saturday.
It's an annual tradition that not only helps tackle food insecurity but makes volunteers happy to lend a hand to families during these tough economic times.
Rising with the morning sun, dozens of volunteers with Ravens Roost 50 layered up in purple attire to pack Thanksgiving groceries for 400 families across Baltimore.
Eight pallets of cans and produce were delivered by Shoppers Food to kick off the assembly line.
The supermarket chain also donated $4,000 to support the endeavor.
All the Thanksgiving classics like yams, green beans and gravy are packed with care in each bag.
But this tradition also inspires former Ravens Roost 50 members to make a 350-mile trip back to Baltimore just to help.
Karen and Steve Pearce/From North Carolina
"Your time is free," Karen Pearce said. "Anything you do as a volunteer it's a good thing. And it cost nothing. Everybody should do it. Pay it forward."
Karen and her husband, Steve, moved to North Carolina eight years ago for retirement.
But every November, they switch out the sandals to the closed-toe boots to endure the Baltimore winter again with their former group.
"I just enjoy the camaraderie and it's just a great worthwhile cause," Pearce said. "It feels good to know we can help families in a small way."
Each bag also has a gift card to allow the family to buy their protein of choice.
As a Shoppers Food store director and the treasurer of Ravens Roost 50, John Purvis understands the pressure families are feeling on their pockets.
"The prices have gone up so high it's just people won't be able to afford it," Purvis said. "Me, as a manager of a grocery store, I can see how people struggle to make decisions. They get up to register. They leave stuff behind and think I really can't afford that."
Back in June, the organization reached out to schools to determine how many families were in need.
Now, just days before Thanksgiving, volunteers packed their cars and delivered meals to 14 schools along with a handful of churches and shelters.
