Courtesy of special Be Strong International (BSI) donors and partners, hundreds of needy families were provided free boxes of food that included gift cards to purchase a fresh turkey or ham along with a variety of canned goods and other food items.
In doing its part to support those who may be suffering food shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, BSI hosted its first-ever Thanksgiving food distribution on Friday, November 20, 2020, from 10 a.m. to noon at Palmetto Bay Village Hall. Volunteers greeted guests wearing masks with a warmth that could only be matched by the 82-degree weather as they packed their cars with much-needed Thanksgiving supplies.
“It is so important to us at Be Strong International to provide families that may be hungry with the food they need to nourish themselves, particularly during these difficult and challenging times,” said Danielle Dubuc Wightman, Outreach Liaison at BSI. “We cannot expect families to focus on bettering themselves mentally, emotionally, and spiritually if they don’t have their basic needs met.”
By the end of the event, BSI staff and volunteers gave out all 500 food boxes along with cotton face masks and family-friendly board games. Partners and sponsors who provided the supplies included Walmart, Florida Blue, TD Bank, Publix, Farm Share, The Village of Palmetto Bay, Be the Light Ari Arteaga Foundation, AIE Charter School, Meraki Wellness Healing, Salt Life Today Church, and Florida International University Alpha Phi Sigma National Honors Society.
“It’s a very humbling opportunity to give back to the community that we work and live in,” said Emily Arcia, Vice President of TD Bank. “It is an honor for the employees of TD Bank to collect money so that a family in need will use our donation to purchase a turkey and other food items.”
The Thanksgiving Drive-Thru Food Distribution comes on the heels of a Back-to-School Supply Distribution event hosted by BSI back in September. Like that event, local families could register online and get supplies for free. All BSI programs are conveniently offered online during the pandemic, and there is no cost to youth and parents to register.
