The Christmas baskets might contain turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, green beans, corn—you name it.
But these baskets, distributed to members of the community in need, contain much more than just food.
“The holiday time is extremely stressful for these folks,” said Reba Bolden, executive director of the Williamsburg-James City County Community Action Agency, an organization that has coordinated the Christmas Food Program for nearly 40 years.
The baskets provide peace of mind, however brief, for individuals and families living with little-to-no income—some of whom Bolden said might be parents struggling to buy Christmas gifts or feed their children.
The local Community Action Agency, one of 31 in Virginia, is a nonprofit organization serving people in low-income situations and fighting poverty through employment services, medical assistance and more.
Bolden has seen the need grow in recent years.
“Our total number of clients that we serve has increased, and it’s for all kinds of needs,” she said.
In the last year alone, Bolden said the agency served around 4,000 individual clients, and she anticipates more than 600 applications for this year’s Christmas baskets.
Thus, at a time when giving is often on the mind, giving is needed more than ever.
The Community Action Agency seeks cash and food donations for the Christmas baskets, including turkey, ham, cake mix, frosting, boxed stuffing, boxed macaroni and cheese, boxed mashed potatoes, canned yams canned green beans, canned cranberry sauce, canned corn and sweet potatoes.
Donations can be delivered to the agency’s location at 312 Waller Mill Road, St. 405. The deadline is Dec. 7.
The agency also seeks volunteers to help assemble the baskets, which will be distributed on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at the Historic Triangle Community Services Center.
For more information, call 757-229-9332.
Bridges can be reached by phone at 757-345-2342.
