As the food bank at the Parker Task Force anticipates providing nearly 250 Thanksgiving meal boxes to families in need, they are encouraging the community to make donations to help make it possible. 

Every year, the Parker Task Force provides food bank clients with a box of Thanksgiving food they can take home to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving feast for their families. 

“It’s important to continue our community’s tradition of helping our neighbors in need,” said Diane Roth, a Parker Task Force volunteer. “I can’t say enough about the generosity of our community in terms of supporting the Parker Task Force.” 

The food meal boxes should be able to feed a family of four to six people. 

In addition to the standard frozen turkey, stuffing, dinner rolls and pie, the canned food items include canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup and fruit. 

The box should also contain the following items:

• Butter
• Cool whip
• French onions
• Chicken broth
• Gravy (packets or jars)
• Potatoes (5lb bags)
• Cranberry sauce 
• Sweet Potatoes 
• Paper plates and napkins

People can drop off just a few items that are on the list, however, the task force prefers each item in order to make complete boxes. 

“But with the price of food, I get that some people might not be able to provide the entire box of food,” said Roth. 

Roth encourages friends to work cooperatively and share purchasing food for a complete Thanksgiving meal box donation. She has even seen neighborhoods and households work together to contribute items to complete a box and bring in multiple boxes. 

Not only is the Thanksgiving food boxes a tradition for the Parker Task Force, but Roth said it has become a tradition for some donor families. 

“So I’m hoping traditions like that will continue,” said Roth. 

The boxes can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and noon on:

Friday, Nov. 10

Saturday, Nov. 11

Tuesday, Nov. 14

Wednesday, Nov. 15

Friday, Nov. 17

Saturday, Nov. 18

Drop off location: Parker Task Force located at 19105 Longs Way

During the meal distribution on Sunday, Nov. 19, food bank clients will be able to go through the parking lot like a drive through and a volunteer will put the meal in their vehicle. 

To receive a Thanksgiving meal box, a person needs to be a client at the Parker Task Force food band and be signed up to receive one. 

The task force is flexible when it comes to the client’s desires, said Roth. If a family of four wants to invite their grandparents over, they will be given a box for six. 

Additionally, the food bank is seeking monetary donations in any amount. Checks may be made payable to the Parker Task Force with the memo “Thanksgiving” and mailed to the Parker Task Force. 

According to the Parker Task Force, the community can also make a Thanksgiving contribution using PayPal through the website at www.parkertaskforce.org. 

The task force can also use gift cards for local grocery stores as these are used to purchase perishable food for the food bank, such as milk, eggs, cheese and produce. 

“The community has come through for us every year,” said Roth. “And it’s my strongest hope that it will happen again.”