LYNN — Volunteers from Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development (LHAND) and United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley on Saturday passed out meal bags as part of United Way’s 23rd Annual Thanksgiving Project.
In Lynn, volunteers passed out 1,000 of the 20,000 total bags distributed on Saturday, and with “costs rising everywhere you look” there was a “particularly great need this time around,” LHAND said in a statement.
“We look forward to partnering with United Way on this project each year,” said Jessica DeJoie, who has coordinated the event for LHAND each of the last two years.
State and city officials chipped in to help dole out bags, with state Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), state Rep. Pete Capano (D-Lynn), and state Rep.-elect Jenny Armini (D-Marblehead) joining Mayor Jared Nicholson’s chief of staff, Jon Thibault and City Councilor-at-Large Brian Field at the event.
Families received a reusable grocery bag filled with turkey stuffing, potatoes, cornbread, rice, black beans, canned peas, green beans, canned corn, and onions. Families also received a disposable turkey pan and a $15 Market Basket gift card.
Across 24 distribution sites in 21 communities, United Way provided packed reusable grocery bags of Thanksgiving meal essentials to 20,000 families.
“Families across our region look forward to gathering with loved ones to enjoy a hearty meal over the holidays, but we know that many households need a little extra support,” said Bob Giannino, Ansin president and CEO at United Way. “In our 23rd year, amidst long-lasting impacts from the pandemic and soaring consumer prices, this is our most important and largest Thanksgiving Project yet. We are so appreciative of our agency partners, volunteers, donors, and elected officials who lock arms with us today and every day in support of our communities.”
Since 1999, United Way has distributed Thanksgiving groceries to families in Greater Boston, to ensure they enjoy a home cooked holiday meal with their loved ones. As the region emerges from the pandemic, families continue to face economic challenges, including rising prices for essential items including groceries.
According to the American Farm Bureau’s annual survey, the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner this year is the highest on record, up 20 percent from last year.
DeJoie thanked the volunteers who aided the effort this year, adding that “seeing all the bags get picked up feels like a great success.”
