Volunteers make Thanksgiving happen for dozens of Daphne families
DAPHNE, Ala. (WKRG) — In the Daphne Elementary School auditorium, a treasure trove of everything Thanksgiving.
“It’s amazing,” Chace Yamagata with Baldwin County Foodies Facebook group said. “It’s overwhelming.”
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The search for families who may need assistance during the holidays starts when school does. By October, social worker Emily Ponder was in search mode trying to make sure no one was missed.
“I think people are needing help in ways that they didn’t in the past,” Ponder said. “I was definitely shocked when I saw the numbers.”
Forty-one families were identified as needing assistance. Ponder made a quick call to PTO President Brandi Egebrecht and she knew what to do.
“I reached out to a group in Lake Forest,” Ponder said. “They reached out to another group, and we reached out to some business owners as well.”
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In less than an hour money for everything from yams to stuffing was donated to feed those 41 families. That’s 200 meals.
“Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all time,” Big Hits Sports Cards in Spanish Fort Owner Nathan Carraway, who was one of the first to sign up, said. “Anytime I can do a little bit to help out I’m happy to do it.”
Included in each bag of food, is a $25 gift card for a turkey or ham.
“It makes my heart happy that we were able to do this,” Ann Andrew with Salt Coast Realty said.
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In each of these bags, what Thanksgiving is all about.
“Those of us that can should, and that’s what we do,” Fix’n Two Home Appliance Service Owner Scott Knight said. “We do it because it’s the right thing to do and because we can.”
Now, it’s on to Christmas. Daphne Elementary PTO is already collecting donations through their Santa’s Elves fundraiser. For more information go to Daphne Elementary PTO Facebook page or email them at daphneelementarypto@gmail.com.
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