More than 500 families in Copperas Cove will have a big meal this Thanksgiving thanks to a program that's now in its 22nd year.
Community organizations and churches join forces every year to give away meals to less fortunate families through Thanksgiving Basket Benefit.
"There's a lot of people who will have turkeys and trimmings and have food on the table, but then there's a lot of families that won't have that,” Joseph Solomon, one of the program’s organizers, said.
For two months, volunteers collected 15,000 lbs. of turkeys, instant potatoes, cranberry sauce, and other trimmings. On Tuesday, they gave it all away to families that churches and non-profit organizations verified are in need of food this holiday season.
"I love to see the smiles on their faces and the kids’ faces,” Solomon said. “They're just excited and the know they are going to have something on the table."
Those families are also taking warm clothing home to wear during the cold winter months. A Copperas Cove High School student group called True Love teamed up with a church to collect donations that they gave to Basket Benefit families.
"We're just giving back to the community by handing all the coats out and seeing the smiles on people's faces,” True Love member Nakima Marshall said.
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