A food pantry in New Haven is prepared to help hundreds of families serve a delicious Thanksgiving meal.
Christian Community Action has been assisting residents of The Hill neighborhood in New Haven and beyond for decades.
Nicole Smith, director of emergency family services, said this year will be no different as they already have 1,291 families signed up to receive a bag of food.
“For our Thanksgiving event, we stick to the regular Thanksgiving staples -- stuffing, pasta, rice, and of course the turkeys are the biggest price,” Smith said.
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This year's goal is to serve 1,300 families, last year's goal was also 1,300 however they ended up serving 1,382, according to Smith.
She said their goal for this year is to provide food bags for 1,300 families,
At Christian Community Action, they begin their Thanksgiving preparations in August with the donations they receive from their more than 30 donors and local churches, according to Smith.
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On Nov. 23, the organization will hold a Backpacking Day where close to 200 volunteers will prep, bag, and distribute bags of food ahead of Thanksgiving Day.
“They all come in groups and it's like a weeklong process, moving the food from the donation site, packing it all up, and then distributing it within three days,” said Smith.
A study by Wells Fargo’s Agri-Food Institute reports that as of Nov. 6, turkeys will cost one cent more per count than in 2023. As of September, retail ham prices are up 5.2% from last year, and fresh cranberries are 20% less while cranberry sauce is up 7%.
