This year, for the third year, The Valley Reporter partnered with Shaw's Supermarket in Waitsfield and the Mad River Valley Interfaith Council of Churches to raise funds to create Thanksgiving baskets (including turkeys) for local families in need.
For this project, The Valley Reporter purchases the turkeys from Shaw's and sells "turkey ads" that covers the cost of a turkey plus a donation to the Interfaith Council which purchases other necessities for a Thanksgiving basket.
Local churches gather food donations from their members. Those donations were picked up this week and brought to the Mad River Valley Food Shelf for inventorying. Volunteers shop for the rest of the items needed for the baskets and then the turkeys are collected and more volunteers assemble the baskets. The baskets are delivered today, November 26, also by volunteers.
In 2007 the turkey project raised enough funds to buy turkeys and create baskets for 45 families. This year, the request for help was for almost 70 local families.
This year more local businesses and families came forward to purchase the turkey ads. There were anonymous donors and there were some advertisers who donated twice, three times and five times the cost of the ad for the project. Thank you to all for your participation in the project.
Also this year there were more volunteers for assembling and delivering than could be used -- something we acknowledge with great gratitude -- along with the donations of food and condiments from local businesses.
It's one thing to watch the Dow's mercurial twisting as the economy worsens. It's another thing entirely to watch as the downturn in the economy impacts local families. Thanks to all who contributed and volunteered.
It's heartening to know how much people care about their neighbors.
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