THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 18, 1994 TAG: 9411170190
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Turkey. Stuffing. Sweet potatoes. Cranberries. Rolls. Pumpkin pie.
Most people take it for granted that they'll gather around the dining room table on Thursday for this traditional Thanksgiving feast.
But there are hundreds of less fortunate families in Virginia Beach who must settle for a more paltry meal if not for the generosity of others.
The city's Department of Social Service's Holiday Project is busy matching needy families with sponsors - churches, businesses, organizations and even other families - who volunteer to provide a bounty of good things to eat.
Earlier this week, 635 families had been adopted for Thanksgiving. Another 100 or more families still needed help and that number is growing.
``We still have a lot of families coming through needing help,'' said Joyce Harrison, Holiday Project coordinator. ``We certainly have the need.''
In addition to pairing families with sponsors, Harrison is conducting a food drive to fill Thanksgiving baskets for what she calls ``last minute emergency cases,'' hungry people who on the eve of Thanksgiving show up on Social Services' doorstep.
Holiday Project also assists low income families for Christmas, providing food, clothing, toys and other gifts. As with Thanksgiving, families are adopted by sponsors and collections are taken that will be distributed on an emergency basis to families in crisis.
Foster care children and children who have been found to be at risk of abuse or neglect also will be helped.
There are many ways to help with Holiday Project, including toy and food drives, donations, sponsoring a family or child, cash contributions, gift certificates to area grocery stores and volunteering your time.
In 1993, Holiday Project helped 769 families at Thanksgiving and 1,242 families at Christmas. Also, 279 foster children and abused children received new clothes and toys. The total value of all donations was $291,324.
Last year, 36 volunteers contributed 1,520 hours reviewing applications, preparing food baskets, coordinating donations and assisting distributing donated items to emergency walk-ins. MEMO: To help with Holiday Project, call coordinator Joyce Harrison at
431-5375. The mailing address is Holiday Project, c/o The Virginia Beach
Department of Social Services, 3432 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia
Beach, Va., 23452.
by CNB