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Nonprofits offer Thanksgiving assistance

Agencies donating food, meals to those in need this holiday

By JULIE STENGER 9 min read

STEUBENVILLE -- Thanksgiving. The time to treasure family. A time to relish in a large holiday feast.

But for some area residents, that family might not be there. And the meal might not be possible.

Many local nonprofit organizations will be offering assistance this week to those who are in need. They will provide either a hot meal or bags and baskets of groceries with the ingredients required for a complete holiday dinner.

Those affiliated with the Bay Six Project in Mingo Junction will be helping those seeking a hot Thanksgiving meal this week, as owners Bobby and Stacy Westfall plan to share their holiday making sure the needs of others are met, first and foremost.

The couple explained, "Having a hot meal on Thanksgiving Day is just one of the ways that we invest in them." 

For those who have signed up, the meals will be take-out only between the hours of 10 a.m. and noon Thursday at 618 Commercial St.

This will be the fourth year the nonprofit has been offering this service to all area residents.

The couple said at some point in the future, they would like to have a sit-down get-together for residents who need a place to go for the holiday.

"Each year we seem to grow and have more people," Bobby Westfall stated. "For instance, last year we were at about 80 people who signed up and already this year we are at 115."

Although the deadline has passed for signing up to receive a meal, the Westfalls will not turn away anyone who needs help.

"We do typically have people sign up late or just show up, so we plan for that, too," he continued. "The whole sign-up process is just to let us know how many to plan for, so it's not as strict as our Christmas project or projects that are individual specific. The goal for us next year is for it to not be just a hot take-out meal, but to be able to have a sit-down meal and have whoever needs a hot Thanksgiving meal or whoever just doesn't want to be alone on Thanksgiving to come and eat together."

We do have a small pantry that we have open when our Brown Bag Diner is open, and we typically do Easter meal grocery bags, but for Thanksgiving we just focus on the hot meal and hope that those who like to prepare their own are able to get groceries from the other agencies that provide groceries for a Thanksgiving meal," Bobby Westfall said. 

Westfall said moving back to his hometown and being able to help those not only in Mingo Junction, but the Ohio Valley itself is exciting.

"We have learned that there are some amazing people that have been overlooked, underappreciated, underserved, discouraged and have bought into the lie that their hope left with the steel mill. But it hasn't. And we have the honor to carry the good news that they are not too far gone, that there is hope and together we will not just restore the people we serve back to who they are created to be as we remind them of their value, but also we are taking the same approach to the village itself."

Urban Mission Ministries is helping local families with the supplies they need to prepare a complete Thanksgiving meal.

Community Engagement Director Cynthia Lytle stated this year, the nonprofit agency was able to acquire turkeys to distribute along with "all of the holiday trimmings."

She said the nonprofit organization isn't always able to get in turkeys for families, so this was a wonderful addition to the holiday giveaway.

"Some items we were able to order and some came through donations -- which is a huge help to us," she continued. "We have had donations coming in from the community which we have been trying to space out so there is enough for everyone when they come on their shopping day."

Boxes of mashed potatoes, stuffing and cake mixes; packets of turkey gravy and walnuts; bags of noodles and cans of corn, pumpkin pie mix and cranberry have been donated to the agency so staff can meet the needs of all of the families who turn to them for holiday assistance.

"We have also received monetary donations which we use toward purchasing food through the Mid-Ohio Food Bank in Columbus," Lytle commented. "All of our food orders are at a more reasonable cost to us than buying from a local supplier. We are a partner agency with them and our warehouse serves as a hub for local pantries."

"We see an increase around any holiday distribution," explained Kitty Lancaster, the mission's food pantry director.

Lytle provided figures as of early Wednesday afternoon, stating 285 households had attended the pantry shopping day, an increase from the 161 families who came through the warehouse Tuesday and the 127 helped Monday.

Wednesday's total increased in figures, as the mission stayed open until 6 p.m. to assist shoppers. Donations are being accepted through Tuesday and can be taken to the mission, located at 311 N. Sixth St.

The Community Bread Basket in Weirton has been serving those residing in Brooke and Hancock counties since 2007. In addition to the monthly food giveaway, Thanksgiving baskets were given to those seeking assistance Thursday and Friday, explained Tara Sheperd, the program administrator.

Sheperd stated the nonprofit agency allowed those receiving help to be given a choice of what items they preferred. An example included letting the individual who completed the form check off if they wanted chicken, turkey or ham steak.

The Thanksgiving baskets included items to complete the holiday meal, including potatoes, pie filling, eggs and bread.

Sheperd said they usually see between 150 to 200 residents seek assistance during the holiday.

Amy Rice is the director of the Helping Hands food pantry in Toronto. She has served in this capacity for a little more than a year, saying the nonprofit agency assists approximately 60-65 individuals and families a month.

She explained bags of food are given out each month, and with the Thanksgiving season approaching, those in need of assistance were given a gift card to purchase a turkey, along with extra hygiene products.

The annual tradition of having Scouts collect canned food items left out on residents' doorsteps assists with the donations, too. In addition to monthly bags of groceries helping those in need, Helping Hands offers a produce day from March through October and bread and pastries are available every Monday and Thursday throughout the year.

Rice stated the only requirements needed to receive the assistance is a license or ID and verification of your address.

The Salvation Army in Weirton will be reaching out to the community on Thanksgiving Day, according to Rebecca Bell, administrative assistant.

Bell said in addition to distributing food baskets, which include turkey and all the trimmings, officials will be helping out at the Weirton Community Center Thursday.

"Capt. Gene Hunt will be helping with preparing and serving the holiday meal," Bell commented.

She said he, along with other staff and several volunteers will assist those at the All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in preparing turkey dinner for the many individuals who will dine in or take out their Thanksgiving dinners.

She noted it is especially helpful the community center allows one family member to come and pick up the take-out meal, as opposed to those places where everyone in the household has to attend to receive their meal.

Volunteers will be delivering meals to seniors who can not get out, Bell noted.

"They just do a fantastic job," she stressed. "I am so proud of the job they do."

Bell stated the Weirton unit of the Salvation Army is overseeing the Wellsburg service center, too. Several weeks ago, there were 129 families in need of help in Wellsburg, she noted. Those numbers have increased and are in addition to the more than 300 families the unit will help this Thanksgiving.

The baskets include a turkey this year, which Bell said she is thankful for this season, as last year, the organization was not able to offer turkey to families.

However, the unit distributed gift cards so families could purchase their own turkey at a local grocer.

Bell added there are free lunches available from noon to 3 p.m. Thursdays at the Wellsburg office, located at 401 Commerce St.

"They are very generous and it is come as you are," she said, adding it is another service being offered to help those who need a little extra assistance from time to time.

Tia Detwiler, a social service's employee at the Salvation Army in Steubenville, explained the chapter is not able to provide a hot Thanksgiving meal to area residents this year.

While the agency has done so in the past, its current location at 325 N. Fourth St. does not house a kitchen area in which to prepare a meal.

Detwiler commented the nonprofit is able to continue with its normal food pantry giveaways once a month. The amount of food distributed to the community does vary from month to month, she added.

"During the past six months, there have been a lot of people who have needed our help," she said.

"We used to average around four to eight people a day, but today, for example, we had 16 people come in.

"And the other day, we had 22 people who came in for help with food assistance.

"I feel like everyone is struggling now-a-days, no matter how much money you make," she commented.

The food pantry is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. An appointment is required by calling (740) 282-5121.

In addition, there is an emergency food pantry available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

While the Steubenville unit may not be assisting with Thanksgiving, it will be helping those locally during the Christmas season, Detwiler said. The agency has already begun its Coats for Kids program, which runs through Nov. 30, its Angel Trees bearing a child's name to purchase a gift for and its annual kettle drives.

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