By JUDD WEIL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — New Resurrection Church in Hutchinson will be holding their annual Thanksgiving Food Drive on Nov. 19.
With the price of food and supplies posing more of a problem than ever for those in financial hardship, affording the makings of a Thanksgiving meal can be tough for some families.
New Resurrection Church is still accepting items to donate including, canned veggies, canned fruits, boxed stuffing, boxed potatoes, gravy, bags of potatoes, butter, rolls, pies, brown sugar, sweet potatoes, turkey, and ham. Anything that can help constitute a Thanksgiving meal.
"Last year we did over one hundred families and this is all coming from donations from the community coming together and making this happen," said Jaylene Welch, Resurrection Church member and food drive organizer.
Welch said this is the second year the food drive has been done through the church. Prior, she had simply partnered with her pastor and their families for the previous seven years.
"The first year we did it, our workplaces donated us turkeys, and we all had so many extra, so we just posted online if anyone needed turkeys," explained Welch. "It turned into so many people needing so much more thank turkeys, so we just ran with it from there."
For Welch, the food drive has a special place in her spirit.
"I came from a pretty 'shaky' background, where I couldn't provide everything I wanted to for my family, so that's how this all started," said Welch. "There's a couple years where I wondered how I was going to provide a whole Thanksgiving meal for my family."
People in need of food donations will need to physically show up at Resurrection Church to pick up items.
The food drive will be open house, meaning on a "first come, first serve" basis.
"We will have some live music, a person in a turkey costume, kids serving along the side of adults as well," said Welch. "It’s always a good time."
The Resurrection Church is located at 1500 Forrest Street in Hutchinson.
The Thanksgiving Food Drive will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday and will run until 2 p.m. or when donations run out.
Donations for the food drive will be accepted until the day of the event.
For questions or to donate, contact Jaylene Welch at 620-615-3445.
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