Thanksgiving in the United States is a time for people to gather with family and give thanks for all the blessings of life. It is also a time when people are more sensitive to those less fortunate.
To reach out to the needy families in the Arkadelphia community, Ouachita is sharing their blessings by giving canned food items and baked goods to The Elrod Center to make 50 Thanksgiving baskets for needy families.
Ian Cosh, assistant to the president and director of the Center for Internationl Eduation and The Elrod Center, sees the act of giving during the holiday as a way to “share the joy and giving thanks.”
“We would enjoy [it] if any students would bring us canned items that we can put in the baskets; just drop them off to The Elrod center,” Cosh said.
The Elrod Center and Sodexho are sponsoring this event. Donations are needed to fill 50 Thanksgiving baskets for area individuals and families. This year Sodexho will donate 40 turkey breasts but they need students, facutly and staff to work as a team to fill the baskets as well.
“I’m hoping it will help somebody during the holiday [so] they don’t have to worry about food,” said Jon Fitzgerald, Sodexho Food Service director. “It’s just good to help other people.”
Students will also volunteer to help assemble the baskets and deliver them to the families in the local community.
“So as they (volunteers) [are] coming to The Elrod Center, [they are] picking up the basket, taking it to the family to presenting and wishing them happy Thanksgiving,” Cosh said.
Nonperishable items donated should be brought to The Elrod Center by today and baked items by Monday morning. Basket deliverers are needed Monday afternoon and evening.
“We work hard for finding genuinely needy families,” Cosh said. “The process of identifying who those individual are, making sure we getting them to the neediest people is part of what the staff of the Elrod center works hard to do.”
The families The Elrod Center is most concerned in helping are single -parent families, married students with children, the unemployed or those who have been sick and are unable to work.
“We want to make sure we have a maximum impact to help and give [to] somebody who really needs it,” Cosh said. “We will give the students directions so they will know exactly where to deliver. We will deliver it in the afternoon after 5 p.m.”
