The countdown to Thanksgiving continues and St. Vincent de Paul is filling a tremendous need in the valley, especially during the holidays, with the help of some very generous families.
This weekend several volunteers helped St. Vincent de Paul get more than 2,000 meal boxes organized and stacked in a building at Expo Idaho so they are ready for pick up over the next two days.
Inside the boxes you'll find pretty much anything you can think of that you would need for a Thanksgiving meal. There are ingredients for a pie, cranberry sauce, and fresh and canned vegetables. In addition to the box, everyone who registered will also get a turkey, a 10-pound bag of potatoes and a roasting pan.
Melanie McLenna, chairperson of the St. Vincent de Paul Thanksgiving food box project, says what makes this event really special is how all the food in the boxes is collected.
"Children and their parents go shopping at the store with their list and they fill the box," McLenna said. "On the other side, for the last two weeks we have been registering people in need who will receive these boxes. So we have families who need and families who can give."
When it comes to the need for this kind of resource in the valley, McLenna says the number of people registered says it all.
In total 2,250 families will receive a box and will be able to put food on the table for Thanksgiving.
If you registered for this project, pick up is from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Expo Idaho. If you didn't register, McLenna says there aren't any guarantees but if there are any meals left over at the end of the day on Tuesday they will give those away as well.