Collin County families from Seven Loaves Community as well as participants in the Plano Mayor’s Food4 Kids program received vouchers to pick up Thanksgiving food items
The Seven Loaves Community distributed Thanksgiving food items on Friday, November 21, at its 2nd Annual Turkey drive through to 1,220 Collin County families in need. This year’s distribution also includes the Plano Mayor’s Food4Kids families, who participate in the Plano ISD program as part of the free or reduced lunch or breakfast program.
Families remained in their cars and drove through the Seven Loaves Community north parking lot to pick up their items which included 16- to 18-pound turkeys and the trimmings for a Thanksgiving dinner. Over 80 volunteers worked to box and prepare all the trimmings and help distribute the items to the vehicles. Families received rice, green beans, mixed vegetables, corn, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie mix, and fruit cocktail.
“The Seven Loaves Community is so very grateful to all of our volunteers and the generous community who make this effort possible,” said Terry Breedlove, General Manager and COO, Seven Loaves Community. “This is truly a community effort, bringing together people from across the area.”
In a new partnership this year with KCBI 90.9 FM, Seven Loaves was one of five nonprofits featured in the station’s Hope for the Holidays program, which included on-air promotion during the week. Additional representatives from KCBI’s Prayer Station joined the distribution day by setting up a prayer station for recipients after they picked up their food items.
“We have had such amazing feedback from the KCBI prayer station,” added Terry Breedlove, general manager and COO, Seven Loaves Community. “As cars rounded the corner after picking up their food, members of the prayer station asked the families if they would like a special prayer. Many families exited their vehicles and embraced the prayer team; some became very emotional; and many others shared their stories. One family explained how their lives had been turned upside down, and all savings had been wiped out when the husband was diagnosed with colon cancer. This prayer station was such a blessing to everyone and a perfect partnership for this Thanksgiving Day of service. ”
Seven Loaves Community is now collecting items for Christmas gift bags for families of the food pantry. The following items are needed: four- packs of toilet paper; dish-washing liquid 14-25 ounces; hand lotion; and $10 gift cards to Walmart or Target. Donations may be placed in the marked bins located in youth commons or the mission center, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, Texas 75093. Gift cards can be placed in the kiosk mail slot located in the mission center. For questions, contact the missions office at info@7loavescommunity.org. The donation deadline is December 15.
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Seven Loaves Community was established in 2009. The Food Pantry, the first initiative of Seven Loaves Community, serves over 1,800 individuals monthly (half of which are children). It is estimated in 2014 over 750,000 pounds of food will be distributed. The program now includes Joseph’s Coat, a clothing closet, which provides an average of 4,000 garments each month; Project Hope, a mentoring program to support women in crisis; and Plus One, a new initiative providing hygiene products to clients. An estimated 130,000 people in Collin County live below the poverty level, more than half of which are children. www.7loavescommunity.org.