MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – As the holiday season approaches, multiple charitable organizations will begin opening their doors for those in need of Thanksgiving meals and holiday assistance. The community is coming together to provide Thanksgiving meals, restock food pantries, provide families with assistance and ensure all children can celebrate the season with joy. Here are some of the local organizations in Marion County that the community can give back to and support for those in need this Thanksgiving and holiday season.
Grace Episcopal Church
Grace Episcopal Church is host to a Thanksgiving food drive and their 78th Annual Holiday Bazaar to collect donations to support foundations ready to help families in need. Their Thanksgiving food drive has been ongoing since Oct. 26 and will continue through Nov. 9, collecting items for Thanksgiving meals to donate to Interfaith Emergency Services, an organization dedicated to providing families in need with emergency assistance. Some of the donations they are asking for are boxed mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, canned vegetables, canned fruit and gift cards for turkeys.
The 78th Annual Holiday Bazaar will be host to two events with proceeds supporting Interfaith Emergency Services and the Ocala Farm Ministry. On Friday, Nov. 7 from 5-7 p.m., Grace Episcopal Church is hosting Ladies Night Out for a $5 donation with wine, cheese and a chance to be the first to shop for early Christmas items. On Saturday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., guests will have the opportunity to do early holiday shopping with handmade holiday decorations, ornaments, crafts, pre-loved items and more with a basket raffle throughout the event. Both events will be hosted at the church at 503 SE Broadway St., Ocala.
Donations can be brought to Grace Episcopal Church at 503 SE Broadway St., Ocala. To learn more information, read about the Thanksgiving food drive here and the holiday bazaar here.
HIS Compassion, Inc. Food Bank
HIS Compassion is a nonprofit food bank made up almost entirely of volunteers who partner with local organizations to provide donated food across seven counties including Marion, Lake, Sumter, Levy, Alachua, Citrus and Putnam. Their food distributions take place every first and third Tuesday of every month. The next distribution will be taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 8-10 a.m. at HIS Compassion Ministries and Logos Lodge at 2000 NE 78th St., Ocala. They ask for volunteers to help with distribution among other things to support the mission or donations through PayPal to help with truck and fuel expenses and power to preserve frozen foods, produce and dairy.
To donate or volunteer, learn more information about the food bank and donate, take a look at their website here.
Bring the Harvest Home
Bring the Harvest Home is an annual holiday food drive in Marion County with the goal of helping local food pantries replenish their supplies to support the community throughout the holiday season. The next Bring the Harvest Home event will take place on Friday, Dec. 5 from 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Ocala’s Historic Downtown Square, 1 NE 1st Ave., Ocala. This event will benefit Brother’s Keeper, Interfaith Emergency Services, The Salvation Army and Helping Hands Ocala, Inc. Locals are welcome and encouraged to bring non-perishable donations of food, baby and personal hygiene products on the day of the event.
Donations for the next holiday season began on Oct. 21 with designated collection locations around Marion County. Non-perishable donations that are needed are dry foods and complementary goods such as rice, pasta, pasta sauce, cereal, crackers, peanut butter and jelly with plastic containers preferred. They also ask for canned goods such as corned beef, chicken, ham, tuna, vegetables and fruits. Other non-food donations needed are baby items such as food, diapers, lotion and wipes and toiletries such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste and toilet paper.
To learn more about Bring the Harvest Home, where drop-off locations are and when to donate, look at Marion County’s website here.
Brother’s Keeper
Multiple events leading up to the holidays benefit Brother’s Keeper, a social service outreach ministry of Blessed Trinity Catholic Church with the goal of supporting the those in need in the community. They assist the community with emergency assistance, a soup kitchen and a Homeless Prevention and Rape Re-Housing Assistance Program. In order to receive assistance, Marion County residents must apply for assistance in person at the church during office hours. During the season, they provide holiday assistance to those in need with their “Thanksgiving Meals for the Poor” and “Christmas for Needy Families” events.
The Thanksgiving event takes donations collected a month prior to Thanksgiving to deliver food to up to 250 families and for their soup kitchen to provide a “Thanksgiving feast,” providing meals to those in need. They are looking for drivers to deliver 100+ Thanksgiving meals to families who can’t pick them up as well as donations of ham, turkey, cereal, canned yams, bagged or canned beans, stuffing mixes, bags of rice, boxed or canned potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, dessert mixes, peanut butter, canned vegetables, canned fruits, boxed macaroni & cheese, packaged cookies, packaged pastries and grocery gift cards.
The Christmas event takes food and new toy donations to provide to children and families and ask for donations to buy hams to deliver to families. They have a wish list of toys and gifts for children including preschool play sets, character toys, building blocks, baby dolls, learning toys, fashion dolls, Lego sets, remote control cars, tricycles, scooters, bicycles, skateboards, jewelry, makeup, purses, hair accessories, cologne and perfume, sports balls, sports apparel, electronic games, gift cards and pre-paid cell phones. They also have an “Angel Tree” where locals have the opportunity to buy a toy for a child of a specific age.
To learn more about Brother’s Keeper and their holiday events as well as donate or volunteer, visit their website here.