St. Anne’s Episcopal Church handed out its Thanksgiving baskets Sunday and today through its Thanksgiving Basket Outreach Ministry.
Cathy Carter, coordinator of the ministry, said this year is the 19th year for the Thanksgiving Outreach Ministry.
The idea for the outreach ministry came from a former priest, said Carol Bianchini, parish administrator. The first year, the church provided 50 meals and every year since then the program has grown. This year, St. Anne’s provided 200 meals.
The outreach ministry gets the names of all the students who receive free or reduced lunches at Warsaw Community Schools.
This year, The Salvation Army donated half of the products in advance. Also, the ministry received a $3,500 donation from Safe-Way Garage Doors.
The baskets include cans of corn, green beans and mushroom soup, a box of stuffing, apple sauce, a package of cookies and a voucher of $35 for Kroger. Carter said the voucher was there so people could choose if they got turkey or ham since the outreach ministry didn’t provide meat in the baskets.
Meals are picked up between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday and between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. today.
Bianchini said hopefully people who get the baskets know there’s people who care enough to help provide for them. She also hopes the recipients’ Thanksgivings are blessed. The ministry not only feeds them physically, but “feeds us spiritually, and hopefully, on their journey, they’ll love and appreciate they were able to get some assistance.”