Nov 18, 2018 4 min read

On Monday in the City Mission chapel, 200 Boxes of Love will be distributed to low-income families from the Washington community. Each box contains all the ingredients for a traditional family meal that they can enjoy in their own homes on Thanksgiving.

“Families start with an empty box,” said City Mission Samaritan Center coordinator Paul Smith. “They go around the chapel and choose the items they want to fill their box with. They can get all the fixings like stuffing, cranberries, potatoes, canned vegetables. At the end, they pick out their own frozen turkey.”

This is the second annual community Boxes of Love. Last year, City Mission distributed 105 boxes to the community during the one-day event.

“What was really cool last year,” Smith said, “was the look on their faces as they went around with volunteers and built their own box. That’s a more personal approach. We don’t just give them a box and what they get is what they get. They can choose the items they know their family will enjoy.”

This year, City Mission is planning to provide more than 200 boxes, nearly doubling the amount from last year.

“In addition to an entire Thanksgiving meal in a box,” said Brian Johansson, City Mission’s chief operating officer, “they also get a Bible and a family board game. We’re trying to create a family holiday experience for them at home.”

“By taking care of someone’s physical need,” Smith added, “you truly show them the love of God. It’s more than words. It’s action. They’ll never know the love of God unless you take action for them.”

The Samaritan Care Center is City Mission’s community outreach that operates year-round, not just on Thanksgiving. Samaritan Care keeps a food pantry that continuously needs to be restocked. Neighbors in need can come throughout the year and fill a shopping bag with non-perishable items. They can also get clothing vouchers for free clothes at any of the six City Mission Thrift Stores. In all cases, the families and individuals in need can shop for their own items.

City Mission staff and volunteers at the Samaritan Care Center are there to offer prayer, support and a listening ear.

“We’re a community-focused ministry,” said Smith. “We depend on the community, and we give back. As the mission has grown, so has our outreach to the community. True Christianity sees the gold in everyone and tries to bring that out with love and acceptance.”

The Samaritan Care Center Food Pantry is supplied exclusively through donations from the community.To donate non-perishable items or arrange a food drive for the Samaritan Care Food Pantry, visit www.citymission.org for more details or contact Cassie Defibaugh at cdefibaugh@citymission.org.

In addition to hosting a week of Thanksgiving meals in their dining hall, City Mission will deliver and serve a Thanksgiving meal to those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to enjoy one.

“This year, we’re taking hot Thanksgiving meals out into the community,” said City Mission Director of Operations Jason Johnson. “We’re taking the operation on the road. We’re setting up and serving just like we would do it if we were here at the Mission.”

City Mission will be delivering meals to residents at Thomas Campbell Apartments, Arc Human Services and Pathways.

“We’re honored that we’ve been chosen by City Mission,” said Patricia Gould, manager at Thomas Campbell Apartments. “It’s such a kind gesture. A lot of our residents typically only eat one meal a day. Most of them don’t cook or can’t cook for themselves.”

Thomas Campbell is a HUD-subsidized apartment complex in South Strabane Township with approximately 212 residents between two buildings. They are expecting around 120 of their residents to request a meal on all three days that City Mission will be there.

“When we posted the sign-up sheet, it just exploded. In two days, I had to put out another sheet, because the other ones had already filled up,” said Jasmine Fleegal, social service coordinator at Thomas Campbell.

“If City Mission wasn’t providing meals for our residents, most of them, if they didn’t have families to go with, would just be sitting in their apartments alone,” said Gould. “That’s pretty much it. And there’s a lot of them that just don’t have family. Or their family doesn’t reach out to them.”