ST. LOUIS — It's counting down to Thanksgiving and that's why the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis is on an all-important mission: help families who are struggling this holiday season.
"It makes a huge difference," said Quenesha Catron, the Division Operating Officer and Director of Volunteer Services for the Urban League.
"People come to us for a lot of different reasons and they look forward to the turkey distribution every year," said Catron.
Volunteers have started preparing hundreds of boxes at the organization's headquarters in Jennings.
They're filling boxes with canned goods, stuffing and other Thanksgiving trimmings.
It's free food for families in need, and this year the need is especially great.
"This year our goal is to feed about 2,500 families. We do have a registration process. It is specifically for the city, but we will not turn anybody away," Quenesha Catron said.
The folks at the St. Louis Area Food Bank in Bridgeton also know there have been plenty of families out there in need of help this Thanksgiving and all year.
"In the past five years, we've gone from serving 500 families to this year we're serving over four thousand families," said Meredith Knopp, the president and CEO of the St. Louis Area Food Bank.
What's more, she said as of June of 2021, nearly 350,000 people in the bi-state region struggled to feed themselves or their families.
"They're single families. They're single people. They're married. They're retirees. They're veterans and they're saying, 'I've never done this before,'" Knopp said.
In these tough times for people trying to survive the holidays and every day, both organizations are trying to be that helping hand.
"All they have to do is show up," said Quenesha Catron.
"We're here to help," added Meredith Knopp.
The Urban League's annual Thanksgiving Meal Distribution will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 22 from noon until 3 p.m. at their headquarters at 1408 North Kingshighway. They are holding another giveaway in East St. Louis at the Clyde C Jordan Senior Citizens Center at 6755 State Street on Monday from noon to 3 p.m.
The St. Louis Area Food Bank's "Thanksgiving Together" will kick off on Monday and Tuesday.
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