The Thanksgiving Giveaway by Praise Assembly of God Church, 89 Congress St. in Rumford, will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18. (Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times)
RUMFORD — The 15th annual Thanksgiving Giveaway by Praise Assembly of God Church will take place Saturday, Nov. 18, with a goal of helping 100 families.
Baskets containing food for a complete dinner will be available to residents throughout the River Valley from 10 a.m to 11 a.m. at the church at 89 Congress St.
Each family will receive a 12- to 14-pound turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and canned vegetables. All items have been purchased with the exception of turkeys, which will be purchased Saturday.
It will be first come, first served.
“Last year we did help Rumford residents first, but people move so frequently, it just became too difficult to distinguish where people live,” Pastor Justin Thacker said.
The goal is to help 100 families this year, which is 25 more than last year.
If someone wants to request a Thanksgiving basket, they can call 207-364-3856 or come to the church between Tuesday and Friday from 9 a.m. until noon to sign up. The registration deadline for a basket is noon Friday.
“Without question, this task could not be completed unless we had wonderful and hardworking volunteers,” Thacker said.
And while many of their volunteers have helped for years, they usually have between five to seven new volunteers each year, he said.
“But we can always use more volunteers,” he said. “We are going to be packing Thanksgiving baskets at 5:30 p.m. Friday.”
Donations are also appreciated and will go toward purchasing turkeys. Any surplus money will be used to purchase Christmas gifts for children in the River Valley in December.
Donations can be made to Praise Assembly of God (write “Thanksgiving Giveaway” in memo section of check), P.O. Box 269, Rumford, ME 04276. Donations will also be accepted at the church during office hours.
Thacker thanked the volunteers and financial backers who make the giveaway a success.
“Thanksgiving is a time for us to count all of our blessings, but also to come together as a community and ensure that as many people as possible, including children, have a terrific Thanksgiving,” he said. “May God bless the River Valley this Thanksgiving season!”
bfarrin@sunmediagroup.net
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