Making a Difference Every Thanksgiving

We believe every family deserves a special meal on Thanksgiving, and that’s why for the 8th year, our North Valley Family YMCA provided Thanksgiving food baskets to 10,000 deserving San Fernando Valley residents.  Nominated by local school principals, community groups and the North Valley Family Y, 3,000 families received enough food to feed a family of four.

Through generous community donations and corporate sponsorships, the North Valley Family YMCA’s Thanksgiving Baskets program provided a full holiday feast consisting of a frozen turkey, stuffing, gravy, chicken broth, cranberry sauce, canned and fresh fruits and vegetables, and dessert.  All fresh produce was donated by the Thanksgiving Baskets Chair, Maithili Patil’s husband, a grocer, while the turkeys were purchased from Walmart at a discounted cost.

“Our Thanksgiving Baskets program is about more than merely providing

food to those in need,” said Jane Stanton, Executive Director of North Valley Family YMCA.  “This is a chance for our community to unite and embrace the spirit of Thanksgiving by sharing and supporting one another.  This is a passion project for many of us, and it’s amazing to see how much this program has grown in such a short amount of time.”

With the help of 400 dedicated volunteers, including 38 local schools, 13 local groups and Councilmember Mitch Englander, the North Valley Family YMCA packaged and distributed this year’s baskets the week before Thanksgiving.

To view photos of this wonderful program, click here.

And to learn more about the North Valley Family YMCA, please visit http://www.ymcala.org/north-valley.