Family to Family Program Helps Thousands at Thanksgiving
By: Eric Deabill
Updated: November 21, 2012
Scranton, Lackawanna County - Thousands of families will have a happy holiday thanks to an annual program in Lackawanna County.
More than three thousand food baskets were distributed Wednesday at the Scranton Cultural Center as part of the Family to Family program.
For several hours, the line of people waiting to get their basket was wrapped down the sidewalk and around the corner of Vine Street in Scranton.
Each person seemed more thankful than the next for the helping hand.
"My whole family, I've got a big family and friends, so it really helps," Rachel Reynolds of Scranton said.
Organizers of the Family to Family program expected to give away 3,500 baskets filled with a turkey and all of the trimmings.
The baskets will feed 15,000 people. Roughly half will be children.
"Me and my family, I have twins. I have my oldest daughter. She just had a baby. It's going to be great for us and for all the other families," Milton Dancy of Scranton said.
"A lot of families with the economy problems are less fortunate and it's just a good thing they do for families and kids," Syelechia Solis of Scranton said.
For Shirley Theobald, she says without this program, her family would not have a Thanksgiving meal.
"My boyfriend was working and he got laid off or was on medical leave and then got laid off," Theobald said. "We went from having $2,000 a month to just my Social Security which is only $719 and it doesn't go far. We have rent and I still have three small children at home."
The Burne Family has put together Family to Family for the last 26 years. They say it wouldn't be possible without the monetary support of the community and hundreds of volunteers.
"I guess this is the way that not only our family shows its appreciation for the blessings that we have but so many other families have joined us," Dr. Jim Burne said.
Organizers say it takes $85,000 to pay for all of the food and as of Wednesday they believe they have all the donations needed to cover the food expenses.
