Helping Harvest Distributes Thanksgiving Groceries to Local Families

Hope Full Life Center and its Helping Harvest program made sure struggling families in southern Albany County had a Thanksgiving meal.

Staff from Carver Companies and Amrize dropped off groceries following the Ravena News Herald's "Feed Your Mind, Feed a Family" event.

Our community effort resulted in the distribution of 60 complete holiday meals. Each meal included a turkey, side dishes, rolls and a pie — everything needed for families to enjoy a festive Thanksgiving celebration.

This year’s distribution was a true collaboration among volunteers, churches, community partners, and local businesses. Volunteers packed dozens of grocery bags, assembling a thoughtful assortment of Thanksgiving essentials. We are especially grateful to City Church Ravena, whose donation of 60 turkey gift cards ensured that every family received the traditional centerpiece for their holiday table.

Additional support came from Legacy Church of Delmar, which collected cranberry sauce. Their contributions helped round out each meal. The church also collected a large quantity of other canned and dry groceries, which we'll put into our Christmas Blessing Boxes.

We also extend our thanks to the Ravena News-Herald’s “Feed Your Mind, Feed a Family” program, which supplied us with 20 meals to pass along to families in need. That program is generously supported by Ravena Shop N Save, Amrize, Carver Companies, Crossroads Ford, Nolan Energy, and TCI of New York. Their commitment to helping struggling families continues to make a real difference in our community.

Families registered in advance and picked up their Thanksgiving groceries at Helping Harvest on Thursday, Nov. 20, or Saturday, Nov. 22. For those unable to travel, volunteers delivered food to homebound neighbors and others within a 10-mile radius, ensuring everyone—regardless of mobility or transportation access—had the opportunity to enjoy a holiday meal.

“Thanksgiving is a time to come together as a community,” said Rebecca Flach, executive director of Hope Full Life Center Inc., the parent organization of Helping Harvest. “We’re so grateful for the donors, volunteers, and partners who made it possible for local families to enjoy a holiday meal with dignity and hope.”

Helping Harvest is honored to support families during the holidays and deeply thankful for everyone who contributed time, resources, and compassion to make this year’s Thanksgiving meal distribution a success.

Now the Center and Helping Harvest turn our attention to Christmas and preparing our Blessing Boxes for families in need. Learn more and how you can help us make this effort a success in 2025!