 CRN's 2008 Thanksgiving Goal:
Collect 200+ turkeys with all the trimmings
For children living in shelters and group homes
and fill their pantries for the Holidays!
Many of the shelters and group homes we work with have very limited budgets and do not have the funds needed to provide a bountiful meal on Thanksgiving Day. In addition to the to the Thanksgiving meal we also want to stock their food pantries with the basics, but also with the foods children love to eat for the Holidays.
To reach our goal we need people who can organize a food drive in their office, neighborhood, church, civic group, or social club. We can supply flyers, and boxes to help with your food drive.
Due to our limited cold storage space we would prefer gift cards to buy the turkeys, but we would be delighted with either one.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Hold a food drive
- Picking up/delivering food
- Help sort/organize collected food
- Help cook /serve a Thanksgiving day meal
For more information call 770 649-7117 or e mail cliff.kinsey@childrn.org
Thanksgiving Day, a day appointed for giving thanks and celebrating the fruits of the past year
No pardons this year for old Tom the turkey! When we think of things to be thankful for, most of us would have no problem coming up with a huge list. However, for many children living right here in metro-Atlanta the list would look a lot different than yours or your children’s. How many children do you personally know that would be truly thankful for having a safe place to sleep, or being thankful for having electricity and heat during cold winter months? There are many children who just give thanks that they are no longer sleeping on the floor of a neighbor’s apartment after being evicted from their homes. Others are super elated that they are no longer being physically and mentally abused. Think what it must be like to feel thankful that it is a school day so you will be eating a nutritious lunch. I think it is important for us to realize that many of the children living in metro-Atlanta shelters and group homes are thankful for just being at that shelter or group home. If we were in that situation many would find it hard to be thankful for anything! Given the situation many of these children endured prior to finding that safe haven that in itself is something to be thankful for. This was illustrated last year at our Annual Thanksgiving Feast we held at Rainbow Village last year. The Executive Director, Ms. Nancy Yancy asked everyone, volunteers and residents alike to hold hands and mention what they were thankful for. There was around 70 women, children and volunteers on hand, I can tell you it was very touching and just awesome to hear the children and their mothers being truly thankful for just having each other to hold on to. For having a place like Rainbow Village to house them, for the volunteers that were there with homemade goodies, and on and on it went. There was hardly a dry eye in the place by the time everyone was done giving thanks; it was truly one of the best Thanksgiving meals I have been a part of. It really drove home the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
These children deserve to be embraced and uplifted year round, especially during the Holidays. Many of the shelters and group homes that we work with do not have excess funds needed to really generate a feast fit for a king on Thanksgiving Day. We are asking for your help again this year to do just that. Our goal is to not only collect 200+ turkeys and all of the trimmings to go with it, but to collect enough food to stock the food pantries of the shelters and group homes through the end of the year with more than just the basics. We want to provide the fruits and veggies, and non perishables, but we also want to give food that children love to eat. Cookies, cakes, pies, homemade desserts, chips, etc…
Cook and Serve at a shelter/group home on Thanksgiving day: Some of the shelters and group homes would like to have volunteers actually come cook, serve and eat Thanksgiving Dinner with them and their residents. Ideally, you would cook a turkey at home and the trimmings for the meal at the shelter/group home Thanksgiving morning
Pick up and Deliver Food: We will need volunteers to pick up collected food and bring it to us for sorting, and also volunteers to deliver food to various locations.
SPECIAL NOTE: If you are going to “drop off” a turkey please consider a $10 or $20 gift card for the shelter/group home to purchase their own turkey. We have very limited cold storage space but will be more than happy to accept a turkey
To get involved or request more information about this program please call Cliff Kinsey at 770-649-7117
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