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Thanksgiving Dinner Distribution Running $10,000 Short

SCRANTON — Charities that provide Thanksgiving food to families in need have the same worry every year: will there be enough donations to go around. On Fr...
united neighborhood centers

SCRANTON -- Charities that provide Thanksgiving food to families in need have the same worry every year: will there be enough donations to go around.

On Friday, organizers put out the word that they desperately need more money.

It was a special day for kids and their parents at the United Neighborhood Centers child care center on Olive Street in Scranton featuring an early Thanksgiving dinner.

Next week, these children and their families are also getting a Thanksgiving meal from United Neighborhood Centers and WNEP-TV's Feed A Friend program. They're registered to be part of this annual food basket distribution to get the turkey and all the fixings.

"I want to help, I mean I want to thank everyone who helped make this happen. It something that is fully appreciated," said Roberto Carpio of Scranton.

Carpio has two children. He says it's tough to even pay the bills. Now, he doesn't have to worry about paying for Thanksgiving meal.

"I'm going to be with my mother-in-law. We're going to have a nice family dinner. We're going to do it that way."

But United Neighborhood Centers officials say paying for hundreds of families to have that meal every year isn't easy. Right now they are $10,000 short.

"We're very hopeful we'll be able to raise that money," said United Neighborhood Centers official Jill Moyle.

The food people donate in barrels around the area goes to food pantries at the United Neighborhood Centers but they need cash to pay for Thanksgiving dinner and the baskets. The baskets are full of purchased perishable items the cost is $35 a family.

This year, UNC plans to help 1,500 families. Every one of them must have a child to qualify.

"It is a heartache, but it is something we look forward to every year to be able to help that many of our neighbors here."

If you would like to help United Neighborhood Centers, click here.

Click here for the list of area agencies that coordinate and distribute all donations collected throughout each county.

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