Annual Food Drive Ensures Burlington Residents Have Thanksgiving Dinner

With the holiday season upon us, People Helping People, the nonprofit that manages Burlington’s food pantry, is getting ready to serve up the spirit of giving at their annual Thanksgiving food drive. 

Julianne Kelleher started as the Operations Manager at People Helping People this past July and said the food drive is in partnership with the United Church of Christ, Congregational, in Burlington (UCC). She said this initiative is a team effort, and it takes many helping hands from volunteers to collect the food items, count them, check for quality, and sort them for distribution.

On Saturday, November 22 donors can to come to the church, and in a drive through format donate an assortment of canned goods and Thanksgiving staples that will be collected by volunteers. Some of the food items needed ahead of the November 23 meal distribution include stuffing, canned gravy, corn bread, canned corn, chicken broth, and cranberry sauce.

Julie Lewis, People Helping People’s former Pantry Manager, said the annual food drive has been going on for over 15 years, and is a “well-oiled machine.” Although there are inevitably hiccups along the road, Lewis said the distribution day of the food drive and the In-Gathering at the church are her favorite days of the year.

With 40-50 volunteers who pack the food deliveries, make napkin and utensil bags for families, and collect items like pies and rolls at the local Shaw’s, Lewis said these events are an effort to “try to take away that extra stress and that burden by providing a meal either for people who wouldn't have been able to afford it, or just so people don't have to worry about cutting other things out of their budget.”

The In-Gathering takes place at the church the Sunday before Thanksgiving and operates in a unique way. Lewis said with the drive up system at the food pantry “we don’t really get to make contact with the clients every day,” but this event gives volunteers the opportunity to pair up with community members one-on-one and help them shop for their own Thanksgiving meal. 

Lewis said the meals are received with gratitude. Clients “pick out the kind of cranberry sauce and the stuffing and everything that they want, and just to watch the volunteers interact with the clients and everybody is kind of filled with joy.”

Both Lewis and Kelleher said that at a time where food insecurity is a growing concern for many families, they have seen great support and donations from Burlington residents to the pantry.

Kelleher said through this food drive she has seen “an increase in willingness from the community to donate,” and added that People Helping People is working to get the word out about the pantry being a resource for those who qualify for SNAP benefits, posting on social media and encouraging community members to sign up when they visit. 

Lewis said this sense of community has made her proud to be from Burlington, and being able to give her neighbors the opportunity to enjoy a worry-free holiday meal with their families has only made her feel “so much more satisfied and happy.”

Typically in the months following the holiday season, the number of donations to the pantry tend to drop off, said Kelleher. She encourages people to not let go of their giving spirit and said People Helping People will still be looking for a helping hand, either in the form of volunteers or food donations to help families throughout town.  The donation center is open at People Helping People from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. 

People Helping People will also be holding their Wish Tree Program in December. At the Burlington Mall, shoppers are welcome to pick up wish cards representing needs from community members. The program works to provide necessities like clothing items, and ‘wishes’ which may be toys and other gifts. Once the wish is fulfilled an ornament will be added to the Christmas tree, and the gifts will be given to the Burlington families. 

Lewis and Kelleher said this is another way for the Burlington community to “take care of its residents” and encourages them to continue to carry the spirit of giving throughout the holiday season.