- Second Harvest of the Big Bend gave 500 families in Monticello food for a Thanksgiving Day meal.
- The group aims to feed thousands across five counties impacted by Hurricane Helene.
- Watch the video to learn how you can help:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
This Thanksgiving will be a hard one for thousands of families impacted by Hurricane Helene.
To help, neighbors are working to get food on the table for those families this holiday season.
Second Harvest helped feed 500 families in this neighborhood at the Jefferson County Library.
They tell me they aim to feed thousands to aid in a big need.
Cars lined up one after another. There were about 500 of them to be exact.
This may look like your typical food distribution, but CEO of Second Harvest of the Big Bend Monique Ellsworth said...
"This year is different than any other year we have done Thanksgiving distributions."
The difference: the devastating impacts Hurricane Helene left behind across our region.
The category 4 storm destroyed more than 300 homes and businesses in Taylor County.
It's one of the five areas they are doing distributions this year.
They aim to help thousands.
"We have found that families coming through have mentioned to us 'We've never needed this type of support before' or 'We're so glad you're here this year, we really did lose everything during the hurricane,'" Ellsworth said.
To help those families, volunteers with Monticello-based business Alpha Foundations showed up to hand out meals.
Working with a construction company, Austin Schrowang said they've seen the need first-hand.
"We've been quite busy in the Perry and Valdosta areas, lots of damage over there, doing everything we can to help," Schrowang said.
He said they're happy to be serving their hometown Wednesday.
"Anything we can do to support the families in the community because a lot of our coworkers live in this area also, so anything we can do to help them, support them, and prosper this region of Florida," Schrowang said.
The distributions don't end here.
ABC 27 and the Scripps Howard Fund donated $20,000 to Second Harvest of the Big Bend.
We are teaming up with them for our annual Turkey Drive.
Ellsworth said events like the drive do more than just feed a family.
"It's events like Turkey Drive that allow our community to converse about food insecurity and the need to give back right now," Ellsworth said.
If you want to help, drop off a turkey at Ponce De Leon Park or Bannerman Crossing from 6 am to 6:30 p.m. on November 21st.
